Epilogue
by Mach2K
Summary: Ganondorf's defeated, the Triforce is safe, and the Master Sword has been put to rest. But Hyrule is left a broken country, and its ruler and her champion aren't much better off. Rated for sexual themes and language.
1. Chapter 1

Gently, they were set down on the ground. Link removed the Master Sword and held it out to the altar before them. It lifted from his hands in a beam of light and floated to its holding place, sinking back into the podium. Zelda walked up behind him, her hands folded.

"So, it's over now. He's been vanquished once again, and Hyrule is safe."

Link looked at Zelda and nodded, and she smiled kindly at him. They left the sacred temple and headed back out into the open field. "What do we do now?" he asked.

"Head home," Zelda said. "At least… that's my plan."

They hesitated, standing around a bit awkwardly.

"I'll have to have his body buried under salted ground, to keep him from rising again," Zelda muttered under her breath. Already, her quick mind was putting together a list of things that had to be done. She would be frightfully busy for a few months.

"But… he will rise again, won't he?" Link asked in a quiet tone.

"What?"

"Maybe not now, or in our lifetimes, and maybe not as we currently know him, but… he'll come back."

Zelda stared at the ground, and she wrapped her arms around herself a bit closer, as if caught in a sudden chill.

"Maybe. But we'll worry about that if it happens."

Together, they left the temple. Link kept close to her protectively; he assumed the effects of all they'd been through were still lingering. For how long?

Slowly, they walked back to the castle, stepping around Ganondorf's dead form on the way. They said nothing until they were back inside the building. It was quiet; the soldiers had deserted after Ganondorf had taken it over.

"Hello!" she called out. "Is anyone there?"

Link wished they had not returned the Master Sword, but it was an act he was compelled to do. He could not have fought it no more than he fought breathing. But they both had an instinct that it was over, now that Ganondorf was gone. No one would come after them.

There was a rustling, and from behind a tapestry in the hall came one last soldier, a bit scared-looking and shaky. He bowed hastily when he recognized Zelda, and the same to Link.

"I saw you… meet him in battle. When you fought in the great hall before heading out," the frightened soldier proclaimed quickly, to explain his bow. "You have more courage than I could dream of having."

Link looked down at his feet, a bit embarrassed now.

"Please, Your Majesty, forgive my cowardice," the soldier pleaded, sinking onto his knees again.

Zelda sighed inwardly, but she held out one hand and touched the top of the soldier's head. "Of course I do. Get up. Do you know where everyone else is?"

"I'm not sure, Your Majesty."

"Go find them, and tell them to come back to the castle. All is safe, now."

The soldier, glad to have something to do, ran off immediately. Link and Zelda stood around, waiting in silence.

"Would you…" Zelda started. Link looked at her expectantly, so she continued. "Could you stay… in the castle, until Hyrule is running smoothly?"

"I'm not sure how much of a help I could be to you. I don't know much about politics," he replied, embarrassed.

"It's more as a figurehead sort of thing. That soldier saw you fight Ganondorf. Others might've seen you defeat him. With you here, it might help to keep the people positive, and reinforce morale with the guard."

Link nodded.

Zelda paused, looking around, then back to him. "And… thank you." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Link smiled a little at her and put his hands on his hips, looking down at the ground.

"Well, you know, just… doing what I was supposed to."

"I know. We both were."

After a little while, soldiers reluctantly returned to the castle. With them came the ladies-in-waiting, the staff, and important dignitaries that had been visiting when Ganondorf stormed in with his swords and monsters, demanding the queen.

"Is it safe?" one of the dignitaries asked nervously, keeping close to one of the head soldiers.

Zelda nodded. "Yes, it's safe now, thanks to Link." She stepped to one side to gesture to him, and Link looked at the crowd nervously. They stared at him in awe, and looked towards each other, muttering in surprise.

"Ganondorf is dead. Hyrule is safe now, and there is nothing to be frightened of. I think a good course of action now is for us to eat something, and have a good rest."

Link nodded his agreement. Food sounded perfect, all of a sudden. Just the thing he wanted. He tried to remember the last true meal he'd had, but it'd been a long couple of months, and he couldn't.

Zelda's quick leadership and confidence, as well as returning them to their routine tasks, went a long way in reassuring her help that everything was going to be fine. She herself wanted to change; there was dirt on her clothes and her muscles were sore from the cramped quarters they'd kept.

"It might be some time before dinner," she said to Link, looking at him. "Is there anything you want?"

It gave him pause. What did he want? He looked at Zelda, and when he started to stifle a yawn, he knew. "Where can I take a nap?"

/

After a terribly short rest, Link was gently woken by one of the servants to announce dinner. He'd been directed to one of the guest rooms that had been locked during the attack, so the furniture inside was intact, at least. The sleep had been too short, and he still felt as if he was half-dreaming. Instinctively, he reached again for his sword and shield, but the sword was gone, and he only touched the surface of the shield, the stamped image of the Triforce in the metal. With an ache in his lower back, he followed the servants down the stairs to the table.

There wasn't much; the kitchens had obviously been raided during Ganondorf's usurping. Someone had gone out and bagged some thin rabbits and old tom quails, whose meat was dry and stringy. There was no flour for bread, the wine had been drunk up, and the fruit that hadn't been eaten had been thrown about and smashed on the walls and floors.

Zelda invited all to sit at the table to eat; there was no point in keeping everyone separate with so little food to go around. A space had been left open at the head of the table on Zelda's left, and reluctantly he sat down.

"The quantity of the food isn't important," Zelda said suddenly. The people at the table stopped and looked at her in surprise. "The quality of the food isn't important. But that we survived, and are here to share this meal among us, that is what is important above all else. That we have our lives and our health, and each other."

She looked at Link. "And we survived because of you."

Link shrugged, looking embarrassed. "Well. Anyone would… would've done it."

Zelda smiled, but she said nothing more.

/

They ate the food that was there, as quickly as possible. After the first few bites, Link realized how ravenous he was, but so did the rest of the people there, apparently. The food was gone far too quickly. When it was gone, things went as normally as always. The servants took the plates away to clean them, talking among themselves quietly. The remaining guard escorted the remaining dignitaries to their guest rooms, or to the few intact carriages to escort them home.

Zelda herself was taken to her rooms by several of her ladies-in-waiting. And though she was tired, she sat up a while with the rest of them, to talk about the terrifying events of the past weeks. Now that it was over, they could detach from it. It was no worse to them than a bad dream.

Eventually, the women separated off to their own rooms. Zelda bid them all a good night, and when she was confident they were gone, she quickly undressed, and changed into a fresh nightgown. It felt like she'd been in those same clothes forever; the bottom edge of the skirt was torn, dirty and faded, there were stress on the seams of the bodice, and worn spots in the gloves. She unpinned her hair and shook it out; she would have requested a bath drawn, but she wasn't sure how much clean water was left, and the servants had been through just as much of an ordeal, and would surely want sleep above all else.

She also wanted sleep; it had been fitful and hard to find in the past weeks. But even now as she climbed into bed, she knew it would be just as difficult for her. With her eyes closed, unable to see what was around her, she grew tense and superstitiously fearful of unseen hands; of a throaty and evil laughter in the darkness. Her rooms were too quiet and still with no one sleeping nearby, and she snapped awake at every imagined or real sound.

Finally, after getting a few fitful hours of sleep, she was startled awake by trumpets outside, calling the soldiers to wake for morning practice. Her heart was pounding hard, and her face grew hot. She put a hand to her chest and took slow breaths to calm herself down.

Zelda flung herself out of bed and put on a thin robe over her night clothes. She left her rooms quietly, and as she headed down to the main floor, she thought she could hear the rattling of people moving in the kitchen, and she immediately went to see what was going on. She cursed herself for not grabbing something; a sharp pin or some such from her dresser. But those days were over; what need had she for defense?

She was surprised, when she arrived in the kitchen, to see one of the kitchen girls putting a kettle of water on a modest fire, prattling away to the other person in the room. Link was sitting at the table for the help, nearest the fire, and listening to the girl go on and on about how terrified she'd been and how she thought the kingdom was doomed for sure and her only thoughts were to get to her family, then she straightened and turned, and when she saw Zelda standing there she gave a little scream and dropped the little strainer of tea she'd scraped up, spilling leaves on the floor before falling into a curtsey.

Link had whipped around and his hand had gone up to his shoulder (and found no handle, damn it all) but at least it was Zelda. He relaxed and nodded to her in greeting.

"Couldn't sleep," she muttered, and she took a seat at the other side of the table, across from Link. The kitchen girl was cleaning up the leaves; she wondered if she dared to dust them off or if she should use the last bits instead.

"Me either," Link admitted. "Thought I'd have some tea."

Zelda nodded. "Sounds good." She gestured to the kitchen girl to get some fresh leaves, the kettle hissing on the fire. The kitchen fell silent except for the girl doing her work. Zelda studied the grain of the wood table, not in a talking mood, and Link had never been much of the sort.

The tea was weak, but it warmed their chilled fingers. Even though she had been talkative enough before her arrival, the kitchen girl was shy and silent now; perhaps nudged into it by the queen's presence. There was a sort of peace in it, though; the girl had her own little cup of tea, slinking out the kitchen door to have it, and leaving Link and Zelda alone.

They drank their tea in silence, staring into their cups.

"I don't know if I can go back to sleep," Zelda muttered.

Link nodded his agreement, but added nothing more.

"I should probably start taking stock of what we do have left. Find out how we can replenish our stores, let the people know that Hyrule is safe…" Now that she was starting to plan and formulate ideas, her resolve straightened her spine and lifted her chin. "Link."

He looked at her.

"While you're here, could you help the Royal Guard? A little boost of morale with your presence, pass on what you've learned from your travels?"

Link thought about it. "Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't."

"I'll do what I can," he offered.

"I'm sure you'll do fine." She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "Hm. Where is that girl?"

Link took their cups and went to sit them in the wash tub. Zelda stood and shook out her night clothes, and she went to the back kitchen door and peeked outside. The girl was half-asleep, holding her empty tea cup, but when she turned and saw Zelda she jumped up.

"My apologies!"

"It's okay. I need you to start… can you count?"

The girl shrugged helplessly.

"Can you write? Read?"

"Ah, no…"

Zelda sighed. "Well. When the head of the kitchen wakes, could you tell her to start taking an inventory of supplies? We also need estimates of how much it will cost to replenish the stores, so be sure to fetch one of the accountants."

The girl, in a bit of a terror at being addressed directly by the queen, nodded eagerly.

"While you wait for the rest of the kitchen, start cleaning this space, top to bottom, alright? Everything organized and in place. It will make counting that much easier. If you need help lifting things, go to the barracks."

The girl nodded again, and Zelda smiled at her kindly, to let her know she was in no trouble. Zelda turned and left the kitchen, going to her rooms to brush her hair and clean up, so she didn't look as if she spent more time lying awake than sleeping.

/

Link went to his room as well, hoping he could get sleep again. The truth was that he hadn't exactly wanted to stay on and help the soldiers. He wanted to go home, thinking he could get better sleep there. The unfamiliar sounds and surroundings, he was sure, were why he couldn't get rest. But Zelda had asked him to stay, and even when he wanted to, he couldn't deny her.

It was for his country, he reminded himself. And truly, that was the most important thing, was keeping the country safe. It was his fate to do so.

He looked uselessly around the room. There was nothing here for him; just his few articles of clothing, and the things that had not vanished along with the Triforce once the world was safe. They probably returned to the temples they came from, to await the next time Ganondorf rose.

He would rise again. Not now, but eventually. Link knew it suddenly as surely as he knew his own name. He felt a chill, but he wouldn't mention it aloud. Hyrule needed to collect itself before considering the possibility.

Link finally gave up on sleep or anything else, and went to the barracks to see what he could do with the soldiers.

/

Everything Link knew about combat was one-on-one, specifically. He stared at the cluster of soldiers, wondering what he could possibly tell them, possibly teach them to make them feel better about being soldiers. He hefted the wooden practice sword in his hand, hefting it. It was so light in comparison to the Master Sword; he felt completely thrown off by its lack of weight and power.

"I don't… to be honest, I don't know much about… about war. Whatever training you guys've had as soldiers uh… far outs… it… well you know more than I do about fighting."

They looked at him blankly.

"I… with all due respect, I don't think we do," spoke up one of the younger soldiers. "You defeated that whole other army on your own, practically."

"I just took out their leader," Link replied. "Once they had no one in charge, they… the army generally falls apart without a commander. So… you take him out, they have no direction." He shuffled, drawing a little scratch in the ground with his sword. "What I want to do is to just show you guys some of the stuff I know to do, to take out that commander, or anyone around him in one-to-one combat. Just… simple… moves… that can… can take out just about anything you come up against."

He shuffled the sword around again in his hands. "So, we can start small… um… I assume you guys know basics, thrusts… parries… like that. So, if we combine them, we can surprise the enemy, and surprise is the most important weapon in a soldier's arsenal."

He flipped the sword around a little, trying to adapt to its lightness. "So. The first thing, it's just a simple sweep-and-thrust sort of thing. It cuts across the enemy's chest, and then you go in for the kill with a sharp stab to just under the ribs." He gestured to the point he meant on his own torso.

"So you start down here," he said, holding his sword at an angle, "and you'll come up at an angle."

He demonstrated the move, and it was easy, incredibly fast, and he felt light, like every nerve in him was singing with joy for the fight for Hyrule. Then when he came back to it, he threw his arm forward in a stab. The crowd of soldiers moved back a little.

"Uh, now you guys try."

He watched as the soldiers gave themselves some space and awkwardly, in their heavy armor, barely able to spin halfway around. Link shook his head, and raised his voice to get their attention over the clattering armor.

"No, no, you… you sweep up across the torso, spinning, and then thrust when you come back around. The sweeping surprises the enemy and the thrust finishes him."

The soldiers hesitated, watching Link demonstrate again with the wooden practice sword he'd found. He shook out his shoulders, clearing his throat. It'd seemed easy enough when he used it against the twisted monsters that guarded the castle.

"Try again," he called out.

It was nerves, he told himself. They were shaken up by the attack on the castle, and couldn't bare the thought of preparing for other attacks. That there could be other attacks.

He paced slowly before the ranks, watching them. "Faster! It's a quick, sweeping slash and a thrust! You need speed or you won't turn fast enough and your back will be exposed!"

He muttered angrily to himself. They did a little better, but they needed to work on their speed. He flexed his left hand; it had been so easy for him. Because…

Link cleared his throat and looked at the soldiers, who were staring at him and waiting to see what he would instruct them to do now.

"Try again," he said, gesturing.

/

Zelda rolled up the plea for aid she'd been reading and set it aside. Now that people were collecting themselves, they'd been assessing the damages to their towns from the monster attacks. And the costs were piling up. Never mind repairing the damages to the castle, replenishing the food stores. Fields had been scorched and most of the plant life was ruined in the army's charge on the castle.

Ganondorf had chosen the most devastating time to lead his formal attack; much of the crushed grain had been near-ripe for harvest in a few months. It was to feed most of Hyrule, to be sent out to the other neighbor countries for food. Now the prized Hylian wheat, practically their second currency, was depleted. Most of the tenants on royal land would not be able to pay their leases in any form.

She sighed and put her quill back in the inkpot. Her hands ached from writing and stress. And she was feeling utterly lost, now. This was no monster she could ask Link to take on. The evil now was mindless and surrounding them, there was no weak spot where they could defeat it.

She could feel a headache coming on, and she closed her eyes against the lights around her. What were they to do? How could they keep Hyrule safe and fed? The headache settled in the space behind her eyes, and she groaned in despair. How long could she ride the goodwill of the people? How long would it be until they no longer respected what they'd done and rebel, if she could not figure out solutions to the approaching food problem?

She groaned again, covering her face with her hands. She broke out in tears unexpectedly, and blamed the headache. After a few minutes of crying, she cleared her throat and shook her shoulders. It was time to get back to work.

Zelda opened a calendar book on her desk and started flipping through the pages, looking for upcoming events of the country. Things could be cancelled or postponed, maybe even some events could become a potluck instead, so that everyone could share what they had. Maybe.

She chewed her fingernails, flipping rapidly through the pages and muttering curses. Were there any crops that hadn't been destroyed? Zelda paused, thinking, and turned to look at the map behind her. Ganondorf had come from the western desert, and demolished most of the crops on that side, certainly. But there was the northern end, the eastern, the southeastern…

Zelda breathed a sigh of relief. The southeastern end was relatively uncivilized, but it had been once. She wasn't sure, but there might be some areas still growing food products. Instead of paying their leases with money or food from their own crop, people could pay with what they could salvage from that area of the land, or use it to supplement their own crops.

And if they still didn't have enough…? She stared hard at the map. Perhaps, until they could pay, the kingdom would hold that equivalent amount of land until they could purchase them again.

And if they still didn't have enough, after that…

She wasn't sure. She would deal with it as she could. Her headache was still there, but she felt its power on her weakening, now that she had some plans. Hopefully, they could pull through this.

/

Another early morning.

Zelda laid awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Perhaps it just didn't feel quite as real as it should yet. She kept half-expecting to wake up in the underground safehouse again. She climbed out of bed and pulled on her robes, stepping out onto the balcony.

Underneath on the castle grounds sat a thick layer of fog, as if their home had shot up into the sky overnight. In the rolling mist she could faintly see a figure cutting a lone path, a rider and his horse. Squinting, she thought she recognized Link. It was some small relief that she wasn't the only one still struggling for sleep.

She watched him disappear off into the fields, and in a sudden, irrational panic that he was sneaking away from the castle, she headed downstairs to go after him, stepping lightly on her way. The guards sluggishly woke when they heard her approaching, and they were a little embarrassed to see their queen so underdressed.

"Your Majesty, is everything alright?"

"Yes, yes, I just want to head outside for a moment, please."

After the briefest hesitation, they released her, and Zelda tried not to run out into the fog from the courtyard. Now that she was no longer above it, though, it was hard to tell where she was going, and what direction Link had been going in.

"Link?" she called. Her voice sounded muffled, like she was shouting into a pillow. She didn't even know if he heard it. She felt foolish for throwing herself out into the mist without a guard or some sort of defense. Link had told her he would stay to help, why wouldn't he come back?

She stopped where she was, looking around, feeling foolish. And what way had she come? She could, in theory, wait outside until the sun rose and burned off the fog, but that could be a few hours yet, if it was overcast like she suspected.

Zelda took her time in slow, measured steps. She would either be back at the castle or she would find Link (hopefully), he hadn't really been running. She adjusted her nightclothes, pulling her robe a little tighter around herself, and she listened carefully. From… the left? she heard a horse snort softly, and she headed towards it. She overshot a little, and after ten or fifteen steps she heard the snorting from the right and slightly behind, and she turned. In the brightening air, she could see a muddled silhouette, and she approached it, knowing it to be Link's horse.

Epona snorted and sniffed at the queen's hair and open palm, and finding nothing there for her, she turned her head away. Zelda clung to the horse's reins. Not far behind was a tree, and Link was sitting under it, staring into the fog, obviously thinking. He glanced at Zelda and nodded his head.

"Another early day," she said quietly, sitting down next to him.

"Seems like it," he answered.

"Why do you think this is happening?" she asked him. "Can't sleep past dawn, can barely fall asleep at night…"

"Couldn't say, really." He sighed. "Not to offend you, I'm not totally comfortable in the castle."

"Oh? I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

He chuckled. "Too quiet there. Beds are a little too soft, it's… you know, just a little too peaceful, I guess? It's strange."

Zelda smiled. "How sad are we? Can't live in peacetimes."

"We could before, I'm sure we can again."

"What… what were you doing before? What are you going home to?"

"Hm. Well, I was sort of helping out on the ranches off and on, so um, maybe I could do that."

"Oh? What did you help with?" Zelda felt a little guilty; she'd forgotten that Link hadn't been sitting around, holed up in a crystal of never aging, waiting for the day he would be called upon.

"Herded the sheep, helped shoe the horses, kept the cows pinned when we were cutting their horns, stuff like that."

He realized Zelda was looking at him but not really listening, her mind a thousand miles away.

"What is it?"

"You've… you've done so much, haven't you?"

"What, while working at the ranch?"

"No, just to… to get the Master Sword and…" she gestured a bit helplessly. "I barely did anything."

"Are you jealous?" he asked, and laughed.

"No, no! I wouldn't… I don't know if I could have done all that."

"It was my trials to deal with, it was meant for me. I was supposed to. If you were supposed to, I'm sure you could have managed. And you did what you had to do, to protect Hyrule."

"Hm. I guess now is when my real challenges come into play," she muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"Well. Ganondorf ruined a lot of the crops for the land. Our food stores are almost down to nothing… I'm worried about surviving this year." It was out, and Zelda exhaled. "I'm worried about Hyrule. Really worried."

Link reached over and put his hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay. We wished for the safety of the country, we have to believe in the Triforce."

Zelda smiled a little. "I didn't realize you were so spiritual."

"I'm not. But I'd hate the thought of us doing all that work and risking our lives for nothing. For Hyrule to fall…" He was frowning, offended by the thought of it.

Zelda nodded. "I know what you mean. That's why I have to do everything I can to keep the country thriving." Just thinking about it, her headache was back. She whimpered and rubbed her forehead. "Forget it. I'm going back. Maybe if I lay down for a bit…"

He stood up first and helped her stand. "I'll take you back," he offered.

He helped her up on the horse and climbed up behind her, taking the reins and holding her in place with his arms. The fog was starting to lift, and they could see the spires of the castle rising before them.

Link helped her down in the courtyard before the main doors of the castle, and Zelda stopped him, tugging his sleeve gently. "When… I feel like this might be something that we both have to deal with… for a while. So don't run off, okay?"

"Is that why you were following me?" Link asked in surprise.

"Well, yes. I thought…" She shook her head. "I'm not saying you were a coward or trying to run away…"

"I know. I just want to find some normalcy."

"We will. But… don't leave. Not yet." She didn't say it, but she didn't know if she could bear the coming weeks without him. She needed someone to talk to. And she thought Link could, too.

Link stepped away from her, to put his horse back in the stables. "I'll see you at breakfast," he said quietly.

Zelda nodded and watched him walk away with Epona. She folded her arms against the cold morning air, and reluctantly she headed back inside.

/

Almost a month later, and the country was, in fact, recovering. Slowly, but surely. The southeastern fields were helpful; many of the sown plants had kept growing, even though they'd gone wild. What little could be found would at least feed most people, if they rationed it right.

The cancellation of visitors and taking trips out helped as well; though Zelda was supposed to spend that time building connections with other countries for aid in such a situation. The country just could not afford it.

Zelda was still waking up early, but she enjoyed it. It gave her extra time in the morning to work on recuperating the country, and sometimes a messenger would come to her rooms with a request from Link to meet her in the kitchens for a light morning snack. Sometimes they did eat, a little, but mostly it was some weak tea.

"I don't eat in the morning," Zelda confessed one time, as Link dunked a day-old biscuit into his tea.

"Really?"

"Well…" she laughed a little. "Not right away. I like it fine at… in a few hours maybe I'll have some fruit and cheese… as a snack, you know."

"Don't get too thin," he said jokingly, plucking at the narrow bones of her wrist with his thumb and forefinger.

"That's how I eat! That's how I… always have eaten like that. What about you, are you eating enough?"

"Yeah, yeah, I eat plenty." He picked at the biscuit. "So."

"So?" She ran her fingers through her combed hair. She'd been trying to bring back the appearance of a collected and groomed royal, even if she didn't feel it. Order in her looks gave people the idea that she would have order in the country.

"What's your next step? What are you thinking now?"

Zelda hesitated. "What do you mean?"

"About Hyrule?"

"Oh—oh! Right. Well, probably I will have to see what I can do about sending reparation funds to the various towns… I'm going to try to send building materials that are left over from the reconstruction of the town walls and buildings as well, to the locations farthest from the rock quarries to help along their repairs."

"Well, you've got it all figured out, it seems."

Zelda smiled a bit sadly. "I wish I knew that for sure. Right now I'm just taking it one problem at a time." She swirled her tea around in the cup. "How about… the training with the soldiers?"

"Oh, they… it's good. They're working hard. They're really trying. I think they feel a lot better about the state of the country."

Zelda's face brightened. "Really?"

"Yeah, they've really caught on. Doing great. I think they feel a little better about themselves."

"Well, I don't want them to feel better about themselves, I want them to be prepared for emergencies, to feel like they can actually do their jobs."

Link cleared his throat. "Well, well, they will. I think they will. They'll have some confidence now."

Zelda looked away. "Sorry. I've been having a hard time of it. I just don't feel like my work is going fast enough."

"It takes time," he replied. "It'll be a while before you know for certain…"

"Yes, I suppose." She shrugged. "I just want to know now."

"We've survived so far, I'm positive it'll be okay. You just have to believe in it."

"As long as…"

"As long as… what?"

Zelda shook her head. "Nothing." She looked away, a hand to her face.

Link finished his biscuit and his tea. "Well. I think I'll go, then. I'll see you later, I hope."

"If you're around the castle, then yes, I'm sure you will."

/

Link was now reluctant to leave, that was for certain. He wasn't sure if he would be able to go back to his home. The work would be so pedestrian, now. But wouldn't it be relaxing, too? Predictable, easy, comforting. Reliable. And he wouldn't have to risk his life, either (more or less). He could go back to helping at the ranch easily. He missed the work and he missed Verla. It had been a long, long few months without her. He wondered if she was okay, if most of the animals had survived, how her father was doing.

If she'd forgotten him.

Verla had been considering a few different men. One of the other ranch hands, himself, and some 'learned' boy she knew from childhood who had gone to the school in Termina to be a scholar in something. Once upon a time, Link thought he'd had the best chance. He and Verla had been friends for ages, and who knew how an education could change a man. Look at how everything he had learned had changed him.

He liked to think that his education was for the better.

He had spent a few hours with the soldiers that morning, and they were improving little by little. The younger ones still stared at him as if he was some sort of godlike figure (which was a little disconcerting), and the older ones no longer scoffed at him, at least as openly. So at least, there was that.

Link stretched out on his bed in one of the guest rooms. He would've been fine sleeping in the barracks, but Zelda insisted, as a partial gift on behalf of her gratitude, and because the rooms weren't being used anyway. His few things seemed so pathetic in comparison to the grandeur of the room.

He nestled deeper under the covers, but he was having a hard time falling back asleep. His mind was constantly awhirl with thoughts, what his next move should be, and a pervasive sense of unease; was he sure this wasn't an elaborate hallucination? A trap of some kind? Would he really be more comfortable sleeping out in the harsh and the cold?

He tried to think of the last thing Verla and he had talked about before his summons. She'd been teasing him and acting coy about who she thought she wanted to marry, and it was starting to anger him.

"Well, Theo just seems like he has a really good future ahead of him. But pa's been saying for a while that he wants to make Rik the lead ranch hand. That wouldn't bother you, would it?" She turned to him with a bit of a grin on her face, but it faded when she saw the dark look in his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"It's good to see that you're considering your choices for a future without me, at least," he spat.

Verla flinched a little at his anger, and she reached for him. "Don't be like that," she said, a bit reproachful.

"Then don't you be like that," he replied.

She tried again, and this time he let her touch his cheek.

"You know I love you," Verla whispered. She leaned down and kissed him, and Link put a hand on her waist.

"I know that," he replied.

They were silent for some time, sitting in the warm sun.

"What do you want to do, then? Do you want to be a ranch hand forever?"

"No," Link answered, rather quickly, which surprised them both.

"And what do you think you want to do, then?" Verla pressed herself against him.

"I don't know. See the world, maybe. Do some traveling. I'd been wanting for some time to…"

"To…?" Verla pulled closer to him, toying with his hair. Link shrugged and looked away.

"To see more of the world, I guess. That's all."

Verla didn't think so, but she didn't question further. Instead, she looked around the field they were in, which was on the downward slope of a hill in the ranch's private acreage for horses.

"Whoever I choose, you won't forget me, will you?" she asked him, as she began to undo his tunic. Link took her hands and kissed the fingertips.

"Never."

Verla kissed him again, and Link finally reciprocated. Slowly, she climbed into his lap, straddling his legs.

"Something to remember me by," she murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck.

The next day, a soldier (not really a soldier, but the queen's personal guardian, he would later find out) came to their little ranch to ask for able-bodied men to join the royal guard. Link only had to look at Verla, who'd been laughing and joking with Rik while feeding the hens that morning (she touched Rik's arm at one point and after yesterday and how he thought they'd reached an understanding or a promise between each other how could she) and he knew he was going to do it.

Link shook off the memory; all that would follow was the hazy memories of his "training", what he now knew were the tests to find… well, the hero for Hyrule. Himself.

/

Zelda groaned and rubbed her eyes, rolling over in bed, and she glanced outside. Early morning, the sky blue-grey with the rising sun. She sat up, running her fingers through her hair, and climbed out of bed and pulled on her robe. Zelda hesitated, and she turned around and climbed back under the covers, closing her eyes. Not this time. This time, she was going to go back to sleep, and she hoped Link would do the same.

She lay awake for an hour, the sky slowly brightening. No, no rest for her. Zelda grumbled in anger and frustration and wheeled out of bed, and she stomped down to the kitchens. No matter how late or early she fell asleep, she was locked into wakefulness at this dreadful hour.

By the time she got down to the kitchen, Link already had a biscuit and was on his second cup of tea. He nodded when she sat down.

"I almost thought you'd managed to shake it. I was going to ask you how."

"No, just wishful thinking," she muttered. The kitchen was filling with the smells of rising and baking bread, that warm, rich, nutty smell that was so good to have again. They sat in their companionable silence as fresh water was brewed for Zelda's cup. It was costing Hyrule dear to keep importing crops though, and Zelda suspected another tax rise was on the horizon. She would not have the people starve, she was determined on that score. Already, she began to calculate an appropriate amount that would draw the least complaint.

Link glanced at her as she sat in silence, her mind whirling with her private thoughts. She was so reserved and private, in her own world. And he felt guilty, but he could not help comparing her to Verla. And that made him wonder, again, if Verla was waiting for his return.

"What's on your mind?" he asked her finally.

Zelda glanced at him, as if she'd forgotten, and she smiled apologetically. "Oh, lots of things. Were you going to work with the soldiers today?"

Link yawned. "Not sure. I might let them have a rest for the day."

"What will you do instead?" She nodded as her tea was brought over, and added her sugar, giving it a stir and waiting.

Link frowned. "Couldn't say." He gave his legs a little shake. "Probably not sleep." They both laughed a little, their own personal joke. Zelda stirred her tea.

"Did… is there anyone you wanted to visit, at all?" she asked. Link looked at her in surprise, but hesitated before speaking.

"No," he said firmly. "I'd like to go over the weapons the smiths've been mocking up for me."

"Yes, of course." Zelda smiled. "And they're coming along?"

"Well enough. Not as intricate as the real things, but good enough for a fight."

A pause. Zelda took a little drink, finding her tea was still a little too hot. Even though he was long finished, Link lingered, one hand clasped protectively over a slow-healing wound on his arm, under his shirt sleeve.

"Why can't we sleep?" Zelda blurted. Link jumped a little and looked at her. The kitchen maid was either holding her breath to listen or had left the room; Link looked around and confirmed the latter.

"I mean… all I want to do, all I've wanted to do since this mess was over, was get Hyrule back on track. And I'm doing just that, slowly but surely, but at the cost of my own rest!" She laughed a little. "I… it's a small price to pay, to be sure, but I do like sleep, now and again."

"Well who doesn't?" He grinned at her.

"I mean, maybe it's because of how horrific it was. Like, I can't shake it. Sometimes at night, before I fall asleep, the darkness seems like it's closing in." Zelda bit off the rest of her words before she could say more. It felt like a slippery slope; once she got started she may not stop, and she really did not want to start crying in the middle of this ill-stocked kitchen. "Not enough money for candles, and I don't want to burn down the damn castle."

Link nodded in understanding. "There were a lot of monsters outside of the safe space," he said suddenly, though he didn't mean to. "They knew you were in there, like they could smell you out. Must've been… at least six big guys."

Zelda shivered a little. Link knew this was the wrong tack, but he couldn't stop.

"But they couldn't break through the door. No matter what they tried, that door wouldn't open. They were beating on it with their fists when I got there, and… that door held tight."

"Just a door," she muttered. "That was all that protected me?"

"Well, that door didn't open until I put my hand on it. I didn't even touch the knob or anything, just laid my hand on it and it opened."

Zelda looked at him in surprise.

"Zelda, that door wasn't even locked. Something was keeping it shut tight."

"Impa, maybe? If she put some sort of seal on it?" Zelda muttered to herself.

"The point is… you're safe. And you were safe then. And whatever tries to come after you in the night, I'm right down the hall. And I'll protect you."

They sat there in silence, Zelda composing herself and Link staring at his empty cup awkwardly. There was a sudden clatter; the kitchen girl had fumbled a wooden bowl and it clanged loudly on the floor.

"Sorry!" she called out to the startled patrons, her eyes a little wary and her body half-crouching when she saw Link almost standing, his hand at his shoulder (damn it) and Zelda tucking her head under her right arm, her left hand spread out as if to ward something off.

Link straightened and touched Zelda's left hand lightly. "If you wish, Your Majesty, perhaps we should return to our rooms."

Zelda blinked and looked up at him, a little embarrassed, and she made herself stand quickly, smoothing the skirt of her nightdress. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I do have several plans for charitable programs, and I should get to work on them."

Later that day, after a quick bath and a quicker lunch, Zelda called together her advisors.

"Hyrule is going broke," she said, dismissing any attempts at casual greeting. "Repairs, importing food, not to mention the money that was used up by that madman for his own gain. Taxes are going to have to be rai—

She was met with some groans of dissent, and a little flame of anger kicked up inside of her. "Really? You dare to dismiss this? It's the only way to get Hyrule back on its feet. If you allow Hyrule to go broke, then no one will have _anything_."

The advisors fell silent, well chastised.

"As I was saying, taxes will be raised. However. I am willing to allow a work-around. If a household wishes to donate the amount they would be taxed extra towards one or a few of our programs, they can continue to pay the old rate, and will know that their money will directly go towards Hyrule."

The advisors muttered amongst themselves, but it overall seemed positive.

"Some of the programs are for rebuilding houses for destitute families. Some will go towards offering support for those who have lost loved ones. Others are to go towards importing foods from other countries to help us thrive."

"Does it have to be entirely monetary?" one of the advisors asked. "Or should we open it up to more… practical donations?"

"Such as?" Zelda folded her hands.

"Donating food from personal stores that fits the equivalent worth. Building supplies, or even serfs to assist with building."

"Do your workers have intact homes?"

"Most do," the advisor said reluctantly, after some thought.

Zelda frowned, thinking. "Focus on getting your own people back to task. And whatever any of you spend on getting your own servants back on their feet, you are not to gain recompense out of their wages. I do not care if you have to build them all new homes. They will need the money more than ever to continue paying their own taxes, purchasing the things that aren't donated at market—

"But that will just line the government's pocket!" argued another advisor.

"Our pockets are empty!" Zelda shouted. "Their purchases pay your wages! Don't you dare fight Us on this!" She took a deep breath to calm herself, and closed her eyes to recollect her thoughts. "They will need the money. I will be watching closely. You cannot take their money away, not while we are in this crisis."

"But you can take ours?" countered the same advisor.

Zelda clenched her hand into a fist and turned to look at him. Her countenance was so full of disgust that he stared wide-eyed, and knew he made a mistake and hastened to apologize to her for the disruption.

"How much of a tax increase?" asked a different advisor, to distract her.

"Four hundred rupees per every fifteen hundred in their assets."

"And what if they don't have fifteen hundred in the bank? Like all the working class?"

"Then they won't be subject to the tax. In fact, I've determined that earning under a certain percent, they won't be subject to the tax at all. The poor suffer first in this sort of crisis, gentlemen. Why make them to suffer more?"

"It'll be hard for you to buy dresses for a while," one of them tried to joke.

Zelda offered him a quick, barely-there smile, her eyes hard. "A sacrifice I'm more than prepared to make."


	2. Chapter 2

The days were growing cold, in many ways.

Zelda's taxing plan caused severe consternation among the upper crust. People rebelled and fought against payment, even. It came to where the collectors traveled with entourages of guards, wrapped in furs over their heavy armor. However, Zelda's plan also worked with her, giving her the respect from the lower castes as she struggled to get homes for them rebuilt where necessary, before winter settled in. But so far, it seemed a battle she was destined to lose, on one side or the other.

She was still waking up early, even though now she was trying to linger in bed as long as possible. But she hated the feeling of leaving Link waiting in the kitchens (why?) and instead of waking up one of the serving girls to tell him she wouldn't be attending, she would get up, pull on a robe, and head down. And there was some advantage; waking up early every day meant she had more time to work on Hyrule's many problems. But it seemed that, no matter how much headway she made, she just couldn't keep up.

Link had only to look out the window one sleepy-eyed morning and decide that he'd better head out to the ranch soon if he wanted to avoid winter, so that he could see for himself if Verla had given up on him, on them. At least in the early mornings, he'd been able to talk to Zelda and not think about it, but in moments like this, laying in bed wishing for sleep, his mind would return again and again like a dog worrying on a bone.

He headed down to the kitchens. Zelda was there; she'd beaten him for once, only because he'd been the one to lay in for a while. She offered him a kind smile to his tired face.

"I almost thought you'd figured it out," she said to him, in mimicry of his own commentary.

"I don't know if there's any way to beat this. And it's like… no matter how long we've been dealing with waking up, I never get used to it. I'm always tired."

Zelda nodded in understanding. "How's the training been?"

"Oh, they're mostly able to train themselves, I find. I've taught them what I could, but they're doing great as is."

"That's good." She waited as Link took a sip of tea, staring at his hands, and she opened her mouth to speak—

"I've been wondering if I can take a little holiday."

Zelda tilted her head. "Oh?"

"Yeah—I was… I wanted to see a friend of mine, see how she's been faring."

Zelda thought, looking into her tea. "How long would you be gone?"

"Not long. Maybe a week?"

"A week?"

"For the travel time and all. Maybe less."

She looked up into his face and she thought she could detect some sort of irritation or unhappiness, something bothering him. She wanted to ask what that was, but she didn't know if he wanted to tell her. If he had, he would've said so, she thought. Or hoped.

"When will you leave?"

"Ah… to… day. Today. After breakfast."

She chewed her lower lip. "You've been thinking about this for a while, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I have, I guess."

Zelda looked down and drummed her knuckles on the table. "So… um." But her thoughts had deserted her. She looked at him again, and he looked back.

"What do you… do you need anything for the trip?"

He chuckled a little. "Ah, no."

"Well, what about food?"

"I'll figure it out. I can't take from the kitchen stores."

Zelda took a drink. "Okay, then." She pulled herself together and smiled. "Sounds good." She finished her tea in a huge swallow and set the cup down with a gentle thunk. "Be careful."

"I will try."

He hesitated, and reached out and took Zelda's hand, kissing in the center of where he trusted the Triforce symbol to be.

"What is this?" she asked quietly, her cheeks going red.

"You're… the queen. I should show some respect, right?" He dusted off his shirt and turned, leaving.

Zelda watched him go.

\

It took a long time to get to the ranch. Link took his time on purpose; he was dreading his arrival. He was apprehensive, and the further he rode, the more little problems he dreamed up.

Finally, he forced himself to stop as the sun was setting. He'd gotten some bread and cheese from one of the few vendors able to get on their feet in town, even though it'd cost him almost twenty rupees. It was a little cold, but he laid down against Epona, and with the help of a blanket, he was warm enough for the night.

He woke early, feeling hungry and thirsty, so he ate some of the bread and followed Epona to a clean stream to drink. By the color of the sky and the logy feeling in his head, being out of the castle had not broken whatever this curse was.

Judging by the scenery around him, he would reach the ranch grounds by the next morning. That meant at least two days of travel (with stops), so three days to see if Verla was still waiting or not. He checked Epona's saddlebags; he'd brought along the unarmored guard's dress uniform. He wanted to wear it when he rolled up to the ranch, as if that way she would understand that he was more than just a ranch hand, a cowgazer.

He hated that, deep down inside, she had him feeling as if he wasn't good enough. Her father's ranch was one of the biggest ones in the country, and he'd been chosen to work on it; wasn't that distinction enough? Or had she seen the possibility for more in him, the same thing he'd felt that day those few short months ago?

He told himself that none of that would matter soon; either she loved him or she didn't, and if not, he'd return to the castle and his duties until Zelda was done with him as well. Whenever that was. It was a bitter and stinging thought; that he could be casually dismissed by two different women for essentially the same reason. He would no longer be useful to them.

He shook his head. Everything would turn out in the end, he reminded himself.

\

Zelda woke up and looked outside, turning her head and not bothering to sit up. The grey was deeper than usual; it was raining. She could hear the soft patter of drops on the stone outside. Link had been gone for three days.

She no longer rushed down to the kitchens to see him and perhaps talk about Hyrule's future. Instead, she would lay awake in bed a while, maybe start writing out any ideas that she had dreamed up. She kept several bound sheathes of paper on a little bedside table for such a purpose, though her middle of the night ramblings tended to be scrawled blotchy letters trailing diagonally down the paper. Sometimes, a few letters came through, but they were very specific and she preferred to not let her thoughts linger too long on the word. He'd be back in a few days anyway.

She sat up in bed, pulling up her knees and resting the book on them, flipping through the pages until the next blank page. She paused, resting her fingers on the bottom edge of the pages, bracing the book in position with her hands. Slowly, as the heavy dull feeling in her head lifted, the problems she was able to forget for a few hours came back. The good feeling between them and Termina was strained over Hyrule's mounting debt and Termina's own problems; some of Ganondorf's roving bandits had ventured onto the fields of Termina and burned down some of those, as well. So they too were struggling to feed their people, but not as badly as Hyrule.

And the other countries were reluctant to open their borders despite hearing the news of Ganondorf's defeat. They'd heard the unfathomable truth and doubted every lick of it. One man defeated the country-wrecking madman? One man over their once-enviable army? Even in the most remote villages, they would joke to each other "what the hell do they have such a huge army for, then?"

Food was running lower still, and they were running low on royal funds to purchase more. She suspected many of the nobility who claimed they were too devastated by the loss of workers and harvestable fields to pay into the tax had been secreting their money anywhere they could. They were sending it off to friends and family as relief, they were pulling it from their banks and wrapping it up in hollowed books, under mattresses, even burying it in the yard. They did it themselves in the middle of the night, not trusting the few employees that hadn't run off or died. Dresses cut to just above the ankle became the fashion that winter.

Zelda groaned and closed her eyes, feeling desperate and sick. She wanted to stay in bed and sleep until the solution fell into her lap, but there was never such of that luck for Hyrule.

She wondered where Link was and if he was doing well, and if-no, no, _when_ he was coming back. He'd been very honest and dedicated to the crown thus far, why should he not come back? Why even worry about it? He was dependable and he'd promised to return. She forced it from her mind and returned to the subject of their dwindling supplies, but it didn't hold her attention long. She found herself, quite without meaning to, remembering…

\

"Your Majesty, we have assembled the young soldiers," Impa said, bowing from the door of Zelda's room.

Zelda stood up from her desk and wiped the ink from her hands on a clean cloth, shaking the wrinkles out of her skirt and following Impa out the door.

"We've got them lined up in the main hall; if we go through one of the maid trails in the wall, you can look at them from there and see if you recognize him."

Zelda nodded, her heels clicking rapidly as she worked to keep up with Impa. They took one of the many small doors hidden behind a decorative tapestry, and Impa, in her intuitive way, led them directly to the main hall. Zelda could hear the guard captain giving a windy and rambling speech, to keep the men in place for such a purpose. Impa pressed gently on the secret door, which also opened behind a tapestry, and she pushed the heavy cloth out of their way so that Zelda could peek around it.

There were three rows of men there, waiting to be judged and tested. She looked carefully, trying to see each one without being seen herself. She stepped a little ways out of the doorway. The guard captain barely glanced at her, but he knew she was there, so he raised his voice over the sound of her footsteps.

"We only take the best of the best for the Hylian army! Less than half of you will even make it through training!"

Zelda took her time, looking over the faces and the hair, catching mostly profiles.

One face she lingered on, and he barely averted his gaze to her, then looked away again. She couldn't be sure, but she thought he'd seen her.

"I think it's that one," she whispered to Impa.

Impa leaned over to look, and nodded slightly. "I will keep an eye on him."

\

Link crested the hill just after sunrise. Birds were singing in the trees nearby, and Epona took her time, lingering to lick the dew from the wet grass. He tangled her reins nervously around his fingers until she grumbled in protest, and then he let go again. He winced against the rising sun, trying to see detail in the buildings. From what he could tell, and this was most chilling, they looked almost empty.

Had the family left when Ganondorf attacked? It was possible.

He carefully lead Epona down the hill and dismounted at the front gate—or at least where the front gate should've been. Link examined the hinges of the gate to find that they were torn and warped; someone with great strength had simply ripped the gate from the hinges. He thought instantly of Verla, and he ran into the ranch proper.

"Verla!" he shouted, looking around. He checked in the barn, but the cows were gone. He hoped not dead.

"Verla!" He checked the chicken coop; it stunk of rotten eggs and dried shit. There were the remains of such on the floor, as if someone had carelessly dropped some.

He looked around, checked the stables and the silo. The silo was completely empty; it should have been full at this point in the year, or damn close. There were no horses in the stables, and the tack and bridles and everything for their care was gone. The hay was moldering and reeked. It looked as if they tried to burn down the buildings, but more or less didn't, whether they were stopped or the buildings wouldn't catch or rain or something.

Finally, he went to the main house, knocking on the door hesitantly and then opening the door. "Verla?" he called. Then he held his breath, and waited. From upstairs, he thought he heard a creak. He went to the stairs, slowly, reaching slowly for his sword, lightly touching the handle.

"Verla?" he called again.

Another creak from upstairs, and then, softly, "who's there?". He thought he saw the glint of an arrowhead appear at the top of the dark stairs.

"It's me. It's Link," he replied.

"Link?"

"Yes."

Silence, then her round face appeared in the lightest part of the shadows.

"Is that you?" she called. "Really?"

He took a step up the stairs. "Yes, really. It's safe now."

She put away her weapons and headed down the stairs slowly, step by step.

"Goddesses, you look… you look so strange," she said quietly.

"Wow, that's…"

"I'm only saying… well it's that… your clothes and all. You look so fancy."

She grinned at him, two steps up from him now. She looked strange to him, too, but he wasn't sure if he could be that obvious like her. She looked gaunt, dark shadows under her eyes and her clothes hung poorly on her frame.

"You've lost a lot of weight," he said, looking at her.

"Yes, well…" She threw her hair back and put her hands on her hips, defiant.

"Wha… what are you even doing here? Where is your family? The horses and cows? What happened?" He took her hand. Verla walked past him and headed downstairs with him, to sit on the floor of the empty house.

"Well. When… Ganon and his army were attacking, we got warning from the Royal House about it. Mom and Dad wanted to leave, so they did." She picked at her nails. "They went with Theo, to stay at his parents' place in Northern Termina. Their… summer home." She had a bitter smile. "I told them I would hold the actual fort down."

"By yourself? Verla, you should've gone with them."

"I know, I know, but… I figured that… I wanted to keep my home safe. We had no sons to do so, and I had Rik take the horses and chickens and cows and take them to a friend's ranch, in South Roldin. Just kind of… spread everyone out."

"But what have you been eating? How've you been living?"

Verla shrugged. "I kept holed up upstairs. We had dried meats prepared and some grains and things… though for a week or so I've been on horse oats."

Link shook his head. "Come on."

"But we're safe now. Now I just have to wait for benefits to come through so I can buy a little food. Mom and Dad are stuck in North Termina from snow."

"Then… go stay with Rik. You can't stay here alone."

"Well…" She bit her nails. "Link. My parents like Theo… I think I'd have to stay with him."

"If you could get through the snow, you mean."

Verla cursed. It was so much easier without him here, staring her in the face.

"I don't. I… I think I'm going to have to marry him."

"Oh." He looked around. "Then why did you bother to protect this?"

"I was just trying to take my time and delay a decision. I was hoping…" she laughed. "Maybe you'd come to take me away."

"I'm staying at the castle," he muttered.

"The thing is… Hyrule is going bad. My parents don't want to come back. And Theo can provide, and… Rik can help his friend run the ranch there, and we have the property up for sale, and…" She felt tears forming in her eyes.

"Whoa, whoa. So… you're not coming back at all? I don't understand."

"My parents are done with Hyrule, because they don't think it's going to recover. They think the queen is running it into the ground."

Link frowned. "She's doing the best she can. Hyrule's been nearly torn apart."

"She wants us to give her 400 rupees on every 1500 we have! That's almost a third of everything we own! I hid most of it from the guards in the haystacks!"

"It's to help Hyrule recover! Its funds are depleted because Ganondorf ran the country into the ground!"

"Why are you defen—oh Goddesses. You are in love with the queen."

"What? Wait, how did we even get started on this? You're telling me that you're going to leave Hyrule for good to marry that fancy boy, and you're pissed because I'm defending the ruler of the country that pays me, and effectively my boss?" Link glared at her. "How dare you be so angry at me?"

Verla glared back, but her anger didn't last long and she looked away. "I'm losing my childhood home. I guess that's what upsets me most."

He nodded.

Verla rubbed her face with her hands. "We're selling the property to a very nice man and his brother. They're going to run it together. And I will marry Theo and become… a countess. Or something."

"And you want me to rescue you from that?"

"The thing is, I'm not really sure what I want, I guess."

Link sighed and stood up, and helped her up. "Go be with Theo, okay? He's willing to marry you, and it sounds like you'll be better off for it."

"I guess…" She looked at him and smiled, and then they kissed. And they kissed again. And again. And soon she was pulling at his clothes and undoing the buttons and he hesitated, but it wasn't long and they were moving together on the floor, Verla gasping and pressing her face into Link's neck until they were done, leaving his collar wet with tears.

They ate something after a few hours, then laid back down on the floor on the blankets Verla drug down from her made-up bed upstairs. They wrapped up under them, Verla snuggling close to Link's chest. He propped his head up on one arm, the other going around her waist. They lay in the dark together, Verla's breathing on his neck.

"Do you love her?" she asked finally, when Link was starting to fall asleep.

"Who?"

"Pff. You know who."

He thought about it. "Don't know. I've no idea."

"You liar."

"I don't!"

"You don't love her?"

"I don't know. We're just friends. We talk."

"Does she talk to you a lot?"

"We talk every morning."

"What about?"

"Just… stuff. The country."

Verla smiled. "Anything else?"

"We're just friends."

"I'm so sure."

"Why do you care? You'll never see me again." He pulled away from her. "Don't get mad at me."

Verla sighed. "I just thought that you'd… you'd take me away or something. Make this decision for me."

"Come on. You've made your decision. You just think it's the wrong one. And if it is, you don't want it to be your fault."

Verla sighed, putting her head up on one hand. "You're a bastard."

\

Link woke up first, staring at the ceiling. Verla snuggled up to his chest and murmured little nonsense words. He wriggled out from under her and started to get dressed. It would take him three days to get back from this point.

Verla mumbled to herself, rubbing her eyes and rolling into the warm place Link had left, but when he wasn't there she woke up. "Where you going so early?"

"I have to get back. I only asked for a week off."

"Hm." She smiled a little, watching him. He stood, smoothing his clothes, and turned to look at her.

"Will you at least stay for breakfast?" she asked quietly.

He did, and they ate without talking, and then he kissed her again. "Go to Theo, okay?"

Verla smiled, looking at him. "I will. Tell the queen that I hope everything works out."

Link nodded. "I will."

There was a chill in the air as he climbed on Epona, but he made Verla keep the blankets, and gave her almost the rest of his food. "Is Theo coming for you?"

"Yes, he should be here within the week."

"Keep warm, alright?"

"I'll try."

They smiled at each other, and reluctantly, Link nudged Epona into a rolling walk out the gate, back towards home.

\

"Your Majesty?"

Zelda stirred but rolled over, away from the voice.

"Your Majesty, please wake."

Reluctantly, Zelda opened her eyes and glanced at the maid. She'd fallen asleep quite without meaning to; she'd only climbed into bed because her feet were cold.

"I apologize, Your Majesty. You asked us to tell you when Master Link returned."

"Oh… oh! He's back?"

"Yes, he just got back this afternoon."

Zelda started to jump from the bed, in a rush to see him. She checked herself, thinking, and sank back into the mattress, looking up at the ceiling. "Good. Good." There were a million things she wanted to ask, but they could be answered by seeing him herself. She took her time stretching and climbing out of bed, as if his return was of little importance. "What time is it?"

"Near supper, Your Majesty."

"Oh." She'd been asleep for a couple hours, then. Her neck was sore and she had that sour taste in the back of her mouth. "Will he be dining in the main hall?"

"I am unsure. I can ask him, if you wish."

"Yes, if you can."

The maid bowed and left. Zelda stood and cursed when she saw she'd been writing in bed. The pen had come to rest on the page when she drifted off, and now there was a deep black spot that went through multiple pages of the book. It would simply be something to work around; paper and ink were in plentiful supply, as evidently Ganondorf saw no reason to write correspondence with anyone, but she'd rather avoid spending money on the items, all the same.

She brushed her hair carelessly and twisted it back out of her face, then got dressed, throwing on the first thing she found in her closet. She forced herself to stop and to go back over the numbers, but maybe he could help her figure out where money would come for the solstice; they had to at least have some semblance of a feast, nothing too big—she forced herself to slow down and take her time, going over the accounts.

A knock at the door, and the maid entered.

"Your Majesty, I apologize. Master Link says that he is very tired from his trip and would like to rest, for now. He sends his apologies and hopes that you will see him in the morning, unless…" the maid crinkled her brow, confused. "Unless you have figured out a solution, he says. But I'm not sure what he meant."

Zelda looked utterly crestfallen, but only for a few minutes. "That's quite alright, I know what he meant. Thank you." She offered the maid a brief smile and turned her head back towards her books. When the door was shut and the girl was gone, Zelda sighed deeply, and rubbed her face with her hands. She sat like that for a minute or two, then collected herself. There was no point in being upset; he'd come back, and he had every right to be exhausted.

What had he done, anyway?

It was up to him to tell her, if he wanted to. It was none of her business.

She got up again and decided to get out before supper, go and walk in the gardens and see how their recovery was coming along, or the repairs on buildings in the surrounding town. Something distracting.

\

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

They sat down, and the kitchen girl brought tea and Link a day-old biscuit, smiling at him. Clearly she was glad for him to be back. Even she'd started to get a little lonely without them there in the morning.

Zelda took a long sip first, and Link started soaking the biscuit in the tea.

"So, um. How was your trip?"

Link shrugged his shoulders. "I got some things settled."

Zelda stared into her cup. "Everything worked out?"

"Well, as best as they can, given the circumstances."

"What circumstances?" It was an innocent question, and Link looked at her carefully for a few minutes, wondering if it would bother her to tell her everything.

"I was… a suitor to this girl. And I went to her family ranch to see if she was alright. If she'd made it out alive."

Zelda nodded. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she was fine, mostly. She's going to marry someone else and move to Termina, sell the ranch off. Their horses and everything were already gone, so it's just the plot and the buildings now."

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Zelda looked at Link closely, trying to determine if he was upset with this news. If he was, he didn't show it.

"Eh, don't be. She'd been jerking me around for a while. I just wanted her to make up her damn mind, by the end of it. Uh, sorry." He ate his biscuit quickly, in three large bites, and chewed thoughtfully, staring at the table. When he swallowed, he asked, "how are the soldiers doing?"

Zelda took a little sip of tea. "I've got them helping to rebuild part of the town. Major buildings and the like. It'll make them stronger, be labor I would be paying to sit around anyway, and it builds morale, for them and the people."

Link grinned. "Well, it seems like you've been figuring things out while I've been gone."

"Not all of them." She shrugged. "It's just hard to think, some days. There's so much going on and so much I still have to figure out."

"Any way I can help you?"

"I don't know." She thought about it, and Link waited. Zelda shrugged at him helplessly, with a little smile. "Maybe there's nothing that can be done. Maybe I'll just have to wait it out and see how things end up."

She took a drink, closing her eyes.

"So… I was sort of living on the ranch…" Link started.

Zelda put down her cup and looked at him, trying to keep neutral. "Are you out of a home now?" What a stupid question, of course he was. Wait, was that too harsh of a way to say it?

"Well. In so many words."

"You know that you are more than welcome to stay here. I'm indebted to you. The whole country—

"Come on, let that go." He waved his hand. "It's my home too, and I'd do anything for it. If you have the space, I'd be happy to stay here, as long as you'll have me."

"You're always welcome here. I'll always keep a place for you."

She looked a little embarrassed, being so open, but Link only smiled gratefully.

"I'm glad to have a friend like you," he said, watching her to see her reaction. To his relief, Zelda smiled gratefully.

"I am glad to be your friend as well." Her face was glowing, or maybe it was just the shifting of the logs on the fire as the kitchen girl pushed them around. Link set down his cup forcefully, as if to signal the beginning of a new conversation.

"So… what is it, today?"

\

A few days later, and Verla woke to thunderous knocking on the front door. She'd sent off a letter to Theo after Link left, telling him she was ready to be his bride, if he would have her. Then she washed and ate some of the dried meat Link left for her, and she cleaned the house. Then, she started packing her bags. Her parents had instructed her to keep the rupees hidden until she was ready to leave; then to pack them up. It took her all day and several trips to tuck every piece into her bags, layering them carefully between her clothes. But soon, it had been packed up. Now she just had to wait.

So she assumed, when she heard the knocks, that it was Theo's carriage, and she was much impressed by the speed of the correspondence. It wasn't until she saw the royal sigil through one window on her way to the door that she realized who was here. She stopped cold in the middle of the room. Again, the pounding.

"Lady Verla!" came the muffled shout.

"That son of a bitch," she hissed to herself. Link had ratted her out; he'd fucked her and run off, back to that skinflint Queen to tell her about the thousands they'd packed away in the ranch. Was he sent here personally to appeal to Verla so that bitch could buy all-new dresses with their hard-earned money?

She ran back up the stairs, hearing muffled shouts; so what if they'd seen her through the window? She panicked, looking at her bags, and she started pulling clothes back out of the biggest one, taking them from the others and trying to cram all of the money into the one bag.

Below, she could hear the thunder of something heavy ramming into the front door, and she stared in amazement. Were they seriously bashing down the door?

She didn't get all the money, but a twenty there and a ten there would be small potatoes when she and Theo were married. She latched up the luggage case, and reassured herself that its sturdy frame would keep it closed in a two-story fall.

She said a little prayer and burst open one of the windows in the room, carefully dropping the case. It thumped and bounced ominously, but held true. She eyed the distance, judging it for herself, but there was no time; she could hear the wood cracking and shuddering, and the ram was getting louder.

Verla used a wadded up scarf to knock out the rest of the glass from the bottom of the frame, and then she climbed out, hanging by her hands for a few seconds before gently letting herself fall. She fell on top of the suitcase and gasped in horror at the sharp pain in her ribs; a corner had gotten her just below one breast. Verla forced herself to her feet and hefted the case with her arms; she'd been carrying a great deal the past few days, and it had helped her significantly in this moment. Holding the case against her chest, she headed out at a brisk walk, half-run from the house, heading for the nearby cornfield. If she made it, she'd be alright. She could lose them easily in the corn, she'd done that to Rik a thousand times. And Link.

But now, she needed strength. By the shouts from the house, she could tell they'd finally gotten through and were raiding the building, hunting for her. It would be seconds before they'd realized what happened, and she forced herself into a run, the heavy suitcase joggling uncomfortably in her arms. The field had been torn up, that much was true; but the sheer number of stalks and their height this late in the year (who'd been around to mow it down, besides Ganondorf, and he'd done a poor job) would be a hindrance to the royal dogs on her heels.

More shouts, and she knew they'd seen her running. She closed her eyes briefly and begged for help from the Goddesses, to at least get her into the field. Soon the rustling was around her, like thousands of angry whispers. Her boots were wearing thin. She would need new if she met up with Theo's carriages. She tracked the sun and the shadows with her fingers and headed north, sticking to the tracks between rows as much as possible, stepping awkwardly and trying to leave no traceable pattern.

Verla continued this odd dance of hers all the way through the field. The soldiers were swarming behind her, shouting to each other and trying to keep an eye out. She did not know that there were two on either side and two in front, and one on his horse trying to get to the far end. She went in circles, constantly murmuring 'please' so softly she could barely tell. She got to a thicker patch of corn and huddled there, listening, closing her eyes to focus.

One stomped by her, barely ten feet to the left, his armor rattling in her ears. "ANY SIGN?" he shouted to his partner.

"None!" came the reply, faint and far away. The guard near her had stopped, holding still. But she could tell by the littlest of his movements that he was there, hoping to flush her out of hiding like a rabbit. Verla could outwait him. She knew she could.

After five or six minutes, the guard moved on. Verla stayed where she was, listening carefully to hear where he was going. He was moving away from her, towards the south side of the field. After a few more minutes, she started walking again in her light, careful steps. If only they'd left a horse for her! But no, she insisted that she'd be fine.

She stopped when she realized how close to the edge she was; the edge nearest to Termina's border. Verla backtracked into the corn until she couldn't see through it, and hunkered down again to listen. She heard a horse thump by, its rider's armor clinking together. She was torn between waiting and making a break for it, but on horses, they could catch her easily. How long would they look for her, anyway? Surely there were a thousand other people trying to make it out of Hyrule with their money.

Verla hunkered down and kept her ears sharp, breathing carefully through her nose. How much patience could a Hylian soldier have, anyway? She tried not to think about Link, but instead listen for the guards, and move carefully to avoid them.

It was a long hour; she could tell by the way the light changed as the sun moved. Finally, she heard shouting from near the house.

"Just leave it! There's more houses to get to today."

She listened carefully to the trampling of the guards as they walked back out of the corn fields. Eventually, she heard the stampeding of their horses, and she waited a little longer. When Verla was certain they'd gone, she stood up again, panting against the stinging of her calves; there were cramps in them from her sitting position.

She stretched slowly, cursing under her breath, and always keeping an ear out. But she was confident the guards were gone, and she started walking again, heading north, to Termina.

\

"There might be snow, soon."

Link raised his eyebrows and looked at Zelda. "Oh yeah?"

She nodded. "We have to start bringing in as much firewood as possible and storing it for winter. We got as much as we could from the trees Ganondorf felled. Would you be willing to help?"

Link hesitated. "Are you… commanding me or asking?"

"What?" Zelda looked at him in surprise. "I'm… asking. Why would you think otherwise?"

"I don't…" Link shrugged. "I don't know."

"Link. I ask because you do a lot of good by being here. And having you work with the people, with…" she winced, "with where you come from, you can connect with them. And they may not resent me as much. I'm not very popular around here." She stared into her cup, digging her nails into the wood. "If you want to say no, you can say no, and I won't be offended."

Link stared at her in surprise, and then he reached over and put his hand on hers. "Of course I'll do it." He took her hand completely in his, and her fingers were cold in his grip.

"We lost a lot of soldiers, both through death and through desertion. I only keep asking you because you are strong and I know the remaining force looks up to you, and if you can work with them, then I won't lose any more people and I won't…" She put her spare hand to her chest, patting it with her palm. "I just feel like I'm going to lose my home, and he will have won, regardless of his death. Regardless of me on the throne."

"Zelda, you've been working hard." Link tugged her hand a little so she would look at him. "And neither of us have been getting much sleep. You should try to nap today."

"I thank you for your concern. I'm sorry to act so strangely, and to put all of this in your lap," she answered, looking at him. Her eyes were shiny, even though her face was careful and emotionless.

"Come on. I didn't mean to imply that… well. Do you think of me as a soldier?"

Her expression changed to puzzlement, and she thought. "Well… In some ways, I do, I guess. When you are fighting, when you are angry. Like the way you looked when you came into the great hall to face him, the sword out and there was almost a holy light around you." Now her gaze softened and she was looking past him. "No… not even then, were you a soldier. Then, you were a force of the Goddesses." Zelda smiled. Her face grew rosy and she shook her head a little, looking at their hands and slowly pulling hers away. "No, I don't know that I thought of you as a soldier. I… do think of you as a friend, though."

"We're united by our destiny," Link replied, as if reciting a prophecy.

Zelda laughed a little. "Yes, that we are."

"Your Majesty?"

Zelda looked at the kitchen girl in surprise, who was standing just behind Link and wringing her apron in her hands, blushing and staring at the floor. "Yes? Please, sit." Link moved over a little on the bench, and the kitchen girl sat down, muttering thanks.

"Um. I might have accidentally overheard…"

"We're all in the same room. I doubt there's any way you accidentally overheard anything," Zelda replied in a soft voice.

The girl turned even brighter red, and Link patted her on the back. "Go on."

"Well, you said you're not… very popular. And…" The kitchen girl looked up a little, focusing on Zelda's cup. "My father was a soldier for a long time. He retired when he couldn't reach his sword anymore, and died not long after. My brother took his place in the royal army, but… uh…" Tears started rolling down her face. "He was um…"

"He was… lost?" Link supplied carefully. "In the battle?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah, he was… they got him. And… um… well the rest of us are all girls and can't fight and there's dowries and stuff and my sisters do what they can to help Mom but they're not too strong so… um…"

She rubbed her eyes with one sleeve. Zelda waited patiently, keeping a warm smile.

"So when you sent the relief to our family, Mom was able to buy them food. She was able to get some of the fence repaired and even some chickens or two to start laying eggs again. And I just… I just wanted you to know that even if stuffy aristo…"

"Go on."

"Even if they don't like you, well, you have loyal subjects in me and my family. Because you helped us."

Zelda leaned towards the girl and put out her hands. Hesitantly, she put her hands on the queen's and was surprised when those soft hands held her rough ones.

"Thank you for that," the queen said with an earnest feeling. The kitchen girl looked up at her, staring her in the face, and was relieved to see that she wasn't the only one with a few tears.

Link was the only one without them, but he was still affected by the kitchen girl's story, and he squeezed her shoulder. When she felt that she'd had such intimate contact for long enough, the kitchen girl dunked her head in a bow and pulled away from Zelda, standing and going back to her tasks.

Zelda put her hands back in her lap and smiled at Link. "What?"

"Nothing. You… just looked relieved, then."

"I felt relieved."

He stood. "Come on. I think you should try for sleep."

"Will you sleep too?"

"I might. Or at least, I'll lay there for a while and think about it."

"At least I know you'll be nearby. I can sleep easier with that thought."

Link raised an eyebrow and nudged her a little. "Did you sleep okay when I was gone?"

"Eh… about the same. Maybe a little worse."

"A little worse?"

"Well." Zelda smiled a little, embarrassed. "Sometimes, I have nightmares. They wake me up. And knowing that you're near reminds me that we're safe."

Link put a hand on her shoulder. "You dream about him."

"Do you?"

He nodded. "Sometimes."

They got to her room, and she was willing to let him leave then, but he looked like he wanted to talk. Hesitantly, she walked in, and sat down at one of the tables for greeting such guests, inviting him to join her. Reluctantly, he did.

"Sometimes I dream that I mess something up in the final fight. I miss him with my sword, he's able to wrestle it from me. Sometimes he wins. Sometimes you… get hurt. And I can't stop him."

His eyes were dark as he recounted those nightmares. Ganondorf laughing on high, Link fallen before him. Sometimes in those dreams, he had the Master Sword. Sometimes he turned it on Link. Sometimes on Zelda. And sometimes, he tricked Link, and Link murdered the queen himself.

He hesitated to tell herself. Even though it was long past, such a dream could be considered treason.

"Even though I know I was able to, I wake up sometimes, feeling cold, and my hand hurts, and it's because I hit the headboard with my knuckles reaching for my sword." He showed her the bruises and scrapes she hadn't noticed before, and Zelda picked up his hand and looked at them carefully.

"Goddesses…" she murmured. She set his hand back down carefully. "If you want, I can ask them to clean your hand up, get some cloth for it."

"Nah, that's not necessary. It'll heal up."

Zelda remembered something key, and she gestured to his arm. "How's that healing up?"

"Eh." Link rolled up his sleeves as best he could. "It's scarring over. It'll look kinda cool in a few months."

Zelda wrinkled her nose. "Are you sure you don't want it bandaged or checked at all?"

"It'll be fine, really."

"If you think it'll be okay, then I'll trust your opinion."

He smiled at her, and it came over slowly on his face. For some reason it warmed him for her to speak so honestly. Zelda smiled back, and looked away, turning red.

"What about… your nightmares?" he asked, to cut the tension between them.

Zelda's face immediately lost the bright color, and she went back to her sober attitude. "Ah… I dream that… that he wins." That Ganondorf gets to them in the safe room, that she sees Link dead, or that Link had turned and joined Ganondorf. And she never woke up from those nightmares until it was that early hour. She shivered.

They sat in silence at her table for a few minutes, until Zelda snapped out of her reverie and glanced at the clock on one wall. "Ah. I've got dignitaries coming soon; I should get ready."

"Oh? What are you seeing them for?"

"Trying to work out more agreements for Hyrule. The usual. Get more money so that we can make it to planting time."

"What are some of the ideas you're thinking of?" He kept chatting, to shake off their nightmares and… well, he was fascinated by her mind. Verla hadn't been stupid, but she knew only the main ways to do things and that they were done that way because they'd always been.

Zelda shrugged. "Formal peace treaties, or a contract for their assistance with our debt in exchange for repayment and our alliance in war, something like that."

"Oh."

Zelda sighed, looking dreadfully tired. It was these little moments when she looked almost broken and defeated that made Link wonder if they really won. He reached over and touched her shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. "It's going to be okay," he said determinedly. "We'll get through this."

Zelda nodded, because it was the easiest response. They stood up together, and Link bowed.

"It was good to see you again today,' he said as formally as he could manage, though Zelda got the feeling he was teasing her a little. She nudged his shoulder with one hand.

"I'll talk to you later on, alright?" she offered.

"That sounds good," he replied, before turning and leaving her rooms.

\

Link spent the rest of the day out with the soldiers, repairing buildings. There were still many that would need to be rebuilt from scratch, but as long as they got the majority of the structurally sound ones repaired, Hyrule would probably last the winter with few fatalities. Zero never happened; a drunk would pass out in the snow or someone would get lost in the blizzard outside the town walls. Very rarely, a child had disappeared in the swirling white winds. Zelda was determined that this year would not have deaths from lack of shelter, and so the army earned their reserve pay.

Link could feel sweat collecting in his clothes, and it chilled against the cold air and offered him little comfort. He hoped there would be enough water for a bath. They were hauling bricks and piling them up over a new wood frame, to form a patch of the south wall. This was one of the most important walls to maintain, as it faced out into the fields, completely open. Another sloppy layer of mortar, and then they squished the bricks down into it, carefully scraping up the remaining stuff that puddled out between the blocks.

Building supplies in the town were plentiful; apparently, Ganondorf had been stockpiling to build a bigger and better castle for himself. He would've been better off fortifying the walls first, instead of wrecking them.

Link tried not to let his thoughts linger over his enemy, as if it would summon him to life again. The body had been buried right where he'd fallen, with a charred black spike driven through the ground there. The grass had grown in over it, slowly.

The men around him were chatting amicably, grumbling half-heartedly about the work. They didn't talk much to him, even when he wasn't showing them sword techniques anymore. They still seemed a little fearful of him. It made the work a little lonely, but he focused best on his own. He thought of Verla now, hoping she was safe. Even if he never saw her again, he hoped she would be happy with Theo.

The thought left a bitter taste, but he had chosen to come back to the castle, because he promised Zelda, and he didn't want to break his promises, especially not to the queen. He thought of her now, which was a reprieve from his moody thoughts over Verla. She reminded him of all he'd struggled through, of course. But he felt optimistic about the future when talking about it with her, even if she didn't seem so sure. If Hyrule could survive Ganondorf, they could survive what was coming. Even if it took a long time.

He straightened to relieve his back, giving a little stretch and swiveling at the waist to give his back a good crack. He stopped halfway, seeing a few royal carriages, with banners he didn't recognize, heading down the main thoroughfare of the castle walkway. They must be the dignitaries Zelda had mentioned. He hesitated, wondering if he should head in, but decided against it. If Zelda wanted him there as a bodyguard or as leverage to prove Hyrule still had a chance, she certainly would've asked.

He picked up another brick.


	3. Chapter 3

Zelda was sitting in a circle with her ladies-in-waiting, holding her embroidery and doing nothing. Her needle rested on top of the fabric, and she was staring at the palm of her open hand, lost in thought. She and the ladies used to use these embroidery circles as opportunities to joke and gossip, to discreetly remove their shoes under their long skirts and to sit down a while. But now they (well, everyone else) stitched in silence, their brows furrowed and eyes squinting in concentration.

The items they were working on were for more than decoration; they were to be sold in an auction for charity, going towards the poor, the food funds, et cetera, on and on. Would their stomachs never be full? She shuddered suddenly, and closed her eyes. She knew something about hunger; the safe room's stores had never been meant for more than the royal family. Zelda had brought everyone that she could with her, everyone that hadn't escaped. The cooks, scullery girls, coal boys, messengers; anyone who'd been in the great hall at the time of the attack, more or less. And they sat down there for a few weeks, Zelda trying discreetly to give more and more of her share around, even after their arguments against it. What was a queen without people?

A sudden, sharp knocking on the door, and she gave a little shout of panic. For a few seconds, she'd been back in the safe room in the dark, holding her breath and hoping they would not be found. The other women jumped at her scream, and one pricked her finger so badly it bled a little onto her stitch work.

Zelda stood up as the door opened, and her women struggled to stand with her but she gestured with her hand; they could stay seated. The guard stepped in, looking around at the tired, drawn women, one sucking her finger and scowling.

"Your Majesty, the dignitaries are here to discuss the formal assistance treaties," he said, with a little bow.

Zelda set down her hoop on her chair. "Very well." She followed the guard out the door and down to the main hall, smoothing her dress down as she went. Hopefully, out of the several dignitaries, a few would be receptive to an alliance or agreement. At least until Hyrule could repay its debt.

The dignitaries were standing together near the council tables and chatting idly. They were richly dressed, and Zelda felt embarrassment for her country. She bit the inside of her cheek and reminded herself sharply that they did not suffer such a catastrophe. If they'd come before the attack, they would be awestruck by the beauty of her home, of that she was sure.

"I am so pleased to see you all. Thank you for making this trip," she said in greeting. They bowed all around, and their personal guards stepped forward to make announcements.

"Your Majesty, I am pleased to announce—

Archduke Francis Wilhelm of Roldin,

Princess Marion Hausfur of Cambri,

Viceroy Theo D'angrive of Termina,

Empress Jalila of Gerudo."

At this Zelda raised an eyebrow, and she stared directly into Jalila's face. She was immensely tall, and she stared back without any emotion.

"Empress?" Zelda asked openly, surprised.

"Yes," she answered. Despite the reediness of her frame, her voice was deep. "Gerudo is its own little world; quite secluded from the rest of the countries. Unless its people wish otherwise. I believe it was one of my subjects who attacked your country unbidden."

Zelda ducked her head, trying to remember to avert her eyes in deference. "Yes, Your Eminence," she replied. It put her off to act submissively in her own home, almost as if she was being threatened all over again. Jalila did not carry any weapons as far as she could tell, but she didn't have to.

"I have come to formally apologize to you for his actions. Believe me when I say that my people do not wish to… tangle with Hyrule. He acted as an outlier."

"Yes, Your Eminence. Thank you."

Finally, Jalila sat down, and invited the others to sit as well. Zelda's heart was pounding and her palms felt damp; but she was perfectly safe. She was home and Link was—well, Link was outside in the marketplace repairing the structure but she had plenty of guards inside. She glanced at them now, and they seemed quite at ease.

"It is quite cold up here," Jalila said with a little smile, a half-joke. "I do not know how you can stand it."

"You would not care for Termina; we've already got four feet on the ground!"

"Four feet of snow! I cannot even imagine an inch!" And they all laughed politely, and Zelda started to relax. They were brought tea and some small snacks. Zelda had a small sip of her tea and watch the others, formulating a plan to herself. She eyed the Viceroy; he was closest to her in age, and his station was low enough that he would be wowed to have such a jump up, regardless of the country's economic standing. But the archduke would have more of a standing with the royal powers of Roldin, and it may be easier to be granted a higher loan.

But in considering her plan, she found she wasn't quite comfortable with it. Even though she knew and accepted the idea of marrying for status or alliances, she… didn't quite want to. Maybe she'd changed a little in the past few months. What she felt was a priority to herself was no longer quite the same as what was her duty as a ruler.

"What is your plan for Hyrule now, Your Majesty?"

Zelda looked around; the archduke had spoken. She frowned a little; he was so old-looking. "I… " She faltered, trying to think. "I… wondered about … peace treaties. Alliances…" Why was it so hard to talk about it now? She glanced at Jalila, who was listening but looked bored. Zelda focused instead on the princess next to her, who seemed rather old; her hair was streaked with grey. It struck her that Viceroy D'angrive was the only one approaching her age. So if she did not want to be mistaken for a silly girl playing house, she would have to be very stern.

"Before the attack, we were separate but equal countries. Afterwards, you see how, even though you may not have been his initial targets, we all suffer from what was done. I think that, in case of future emergencies like this—

"What, he is going to come back?" Princess Marion asked sharply.

"No, no, he won't. Not… for at least hundreds of years—"

"But how do you know that for sure?" It was the archduke now.

"Because…"

"I mean, were you expecting this attack? Did you have some sort of forewarning that your country would soon be in meltdown?" It was the Viceroy, looking concerned and exasperated.

Zelda looked around at them, knitting her brows. So far, the Empress had been the only one to not speak. She looked at Jalila now, wondering if she was going to offer any remark, but she simply looked back at Zelda, waiting.

"No. I don't know for certain if he will or won't come back. That is exactly why I am trying to propose an alliance that will cement our countries more effectively, in case of attacks like this from any other enemy in the future. If we do this now, it could save our countries a great deal of harm and debt in the future."

"How?" Finally, Jalila spoke. "How will this protect our countries?"

Zelda nodded. "Being allied, it would open up the countries to borrowing each other's armies in crisis. That if a country's forces can be overwhelmed, they will have help."

"Does this include the young man who defeated Ganondorf?" she asked pointedly.

Marion laughed suddenly. "Yes, what need have we for an army when we can simply borrow that one young man?"

"Link is not officially part of the army. He's here as a royal guest. But if he wished to, he—

"He's not even part of your army? How did you miss him?" the archduke cried out in surprise.

Zelda bristled. They would not be talking to her so brashly if she was not under their thumbs with debt, this she knew.

"He did not choose to enroll."

"Well I certainly hope he changes his mind now!" The archduke laughed a little.

"I do not think he will," Zelda answered, a little sadly. She cleared her throat. "But that is not the point. Hyrule still commands an amazing army."

"Do any of your soldiers stand up to his greatness?" Princess Marion.

"Yes. Many of them do. And he has helped to improve our army as well."

"And where is this rare charm now?"

Zelda frowned a little. "He is helping the soldiers now; they are working on rebuilding the castle walls."

"You have a hero like that doing smalltime work?"

"Yes. I have the soldiers and him do this work. The soldiers should earn their reserve pay, and working together will keep their morale high and reunite them."

"They're soldiers! They already earn their pay by laying down their lives!"

"I could not afford contractors otherwise," Zelda said coolly. "I am trying to cut corners in positive ways." She eyed the archduke critically; he had to have been a soldier as a youth to get this worked up. Or the father of one, maybe. Unlikely, but possible.

"Good people. Her Majesty has her reasons for these decisions, and we should respect them. Quite frankly, I for one am impressed at her cunning, and think it sets an example for all of us in how to react in difficult times."

Zelda looked at Jalila in grateful surprise, and then looked away, embarrassed. She could not let her know how suspicious she felt.

"Now that that is settled, perhaps we can actually sit and talk as people," Jalila offered, raising an eyebrow and focusing her stare at the archduke. She looked back to Zelda and folded her hands, leaning back and quite relaxed. "What did you wish to propose?"

/

Finally, the south wall had been repaired, and they decided to call it off for the day. Link ached with hunger and exhaustion. His palms were rough and dry from the sharp brick edges, and his clothes were faded from the dust in the air. He coughed a few times and rubbed his arm; it throbbed from time to time where it'd been cut, and sometimes his fingertips went a little numb. He hoped nothing important had been damaged. He considered asking Zelda about finding a doctor, but he didn't want her to worry. She had enough to worry about.

He walked up towards his room, giving his arm a little rub now and again, massaging the muscle. He got to the door and paused, turning his head and looking down the hall. It looked as if Zelda's door was slightly ajar. He wondered if she would want to have dinner with him as well, or if that would be too much _(intimacy)_ between them. His feet made the decision, and he was walking towards her room, gently knocking on the doorframe and waiting to be allowed to enter.

It opened, one of the maids, and she bowed before going to the private bedroom, closed off with another door. Link could hear faint talking, and soon the maid was back with a little smile. "She will see you, sir."

Hesitantly, he walked into the first room and paused at Zelda's main writing desk. It was scrupulously clean, a fact he attributed either to the maids or to Zelda's own careful sense of order. Zelda stepped out of the master bedroom and smiled at him, adjusting her robe.

"Oh, you're going to bed already?" Link looked just over her shoulder.

"Oh, no, I was just a little cold. How was your day?" Zelda sat down and invited him to join her.

"Well, we got the wall repaired. Tomorrow I think they're thinking of starting on some of the buildings, if the weather holds."

"Is it looking nasty out there?"

"Eh, it was looking pretty grey. I don't think it'll snow yet, though."

She nodded, folding her hands together, and thinking again about her afternoon.

"Uh…" Link hesitated; Zelda looked bothered. "Did… you eat, already?"

Zelda blinked and looked at him. "What? Oh, no, I haven't." She smiled. "I'm sure that you are hungry, though."

"Did you want to go eat with me?"

"Um, alright." Zelda stood up, and Link hastened to stand with her. "Oh—

She stopped, frowning. "I don't know if you saw, but there are some dignitaries in town today."

"Oh yeah, I saw them coming in."

"I will probably have to have dinner for them. I'm trying to win their favor, and because of the distance, they're staying in the castle for now."

"Do you want me to join you for that?"

Zelda was still frowning, and not looking directly at Link. "Um, yes, if possible."

He was the one to frown now. "Why do you sound so unsure?"

"Well, I met with them when they arrived this afternoon, and they seemed very interested in you."

"In me?" He looked at her in confusion.

"Because of how swiftly you defeated Ganondorf. They…" She sighed.

"Then I'll go."

Zelda looked at him in surprise. "What?"

"I'll go. They can talk to me and see that I'm normal and… not a threat to them or anything." He shrugged. Zelda looked concerned still, and she folded her arms.

"Well it's not that they find you a threat; they want to… to borrow you in times of war."

"Well unless that war is against Ganondorf, I won't be of much use." He took her hand and squeezed it. "It's going to be alright. They just want to see the legendary hero." He grinned. Zelda looked into his face and smiled warmly at him. There was just something about him that inspired unquestioning trust in her. She moved towards him, barely a half-step, Link's eyes widening in response.

"Your Majesty? Are you ready to be seated for dinner?" An oblivious maid had walked in (and where the hell had all the other ones vanished to?) and she was looking at the two of them as if it was perfectly normal for the queen to be seeing a man alone in her rooms.

Zelda started and looked towards the maid as if she'd just threatened to cut off her head, and when she realized what was happening she stepped back from Link and cleared her throat. "I am near ready, yes. Are the guests already seated?"

"They are heading down soon, Your Majesty."

"Master Link will be joining us; will you set up a place for him?"

"Of course, Your Majesty." The maid bowed and left to do as asked, and Zelda pulled her hand from Link's grasp.

"You should probably get cleaned up. I will see you downstairs," she said, nodding her head.

"Uh…" Link blinked hard. "Yeah. I'll see you in a bit." He gave Zelda a half-hearted wave and left her rooms, going quickly to his own.

\

By the time he finished a quick shower and got dressed, dinner had already been laid out on the table. Zelda had chosen not to alert her guests to their last-minute addition, though the empty plate next to her at the head of the table drew a few glances. She heard him walking down the stairs before anyone; perhaps because of her ears or simply that she was waiting for it, and Zelda glanced towards the staircase. She smiled when she saw Link, and her guests, noting her sudden look, also turned their heads.

The viceroy was the first to speak. "Link? You… you meant this Link?"

Zelda looked at him in surprise. "You know him?"

Link stopped cold, halfway down the stairs. "Theo?"

The archduke and Princess stood, but the Empress remained seated, one finger pressed against her lips in contemplation.

Theo stood and circled the table, walking rapidly towards the stairs. Link waited, watching him warily. They'd never gotten along. They'd tried when Theo visited Verla for her sake, but they held a grudge against each other born out of nothing but a feeling of inadequacy when compared. Theo envied Link his strength and easy-going nature, and Link envied Theo's financial standings, and now that he'd been chosen. Even now that Verla was out of the picture, he tightened his grip on the banister, so that he wouldn't strike out at him.

"How is Verla?" he managed in an even voice.

"I don't know. Won't see her for another week or so, more than likely. So far as I know, my carriages picked her up alright. I've purchased prototypes of a heartier carriage that can survive rough terrain and snowdrifts."

Link nodded conversationally, the wood creaking under his fingers. He bought away Verla, that was all he could keep thinking, and now he might try to buy off Zelda, as well.

Zelda was watching very carefully, her back straight as an arrow. She looked around for the nearest guards and gave them the slightest nod of her head, so they would be prepared if there was any sort of scuffle.

"Please, gentlemen. Join us. I'm quite famished." Jalila's deep voice cut through the tension, and Link looked her dead in the eye, his senses on high alert. A Gerudo in the castle? So soon? What the hell was Zelda thinking?

Theo turned away and bowed. "My apologies, Your Eminence. I know Link well. He was an employee of my fiance's father."

"Oh? What did he own?" The princess seemed quite interested.

Zelda looked at Theo's face; he wasn't terribly good at hiding a smug grin. "He owned a ranch."

"Oh, a ranch boy!" the archduke said in delight. "A hard worker indeed! Working your way up, aren't you?"

Link looked at the archduke in puzzlement. "Uh…"

Zelda sighed.

Theo had managed to calm himself down. "Oh, well the ranch is closed now, being sold off. I'm afraid you're quite without a job now, Link? If you want, I can see about a potential opening as a stablehand."

Link did not respond as he sat down at his place next to Zelda. Zelda smiled sweetly at Theo, her eyes narrow. "Oh, while I'm sure he appreciates the offer, Master Link is probably going to stay here at the castle as an honorary knight to Hyrule."

Link managed himself well; he did not even turn to look at Zelda in surprise. Theo's face fell; and he turned away. "Well, if that falls through, I shall try to keep a position for you."

"No thank you," Link managed, in a flat voice. He stared at Theo, and the only calming thought he had was that he'd had Verla first (as far as he knew). "I'm certain that I will manage."

He looked away from Theo and glanced at Jalila, who was looking at him as one might look at a painting, and then looked towards the princess, who was looking at him as one might look at a succulent slice of beef.

"So then, Master Link," Jalila spoke as they were served the first course, a wilted salad, which was not supposed to be wilted, "you were the one to vanquish Ganondorf?"

"Yes," he answered, wary of her questions and watching her. However, she did not wear a sword that he could tell of, and it seemed she was not about to lunge at him.

"I apologize for the negative outlook he must have given you of the Gerudo people. I assure you, just as I assure Her Majesty, that he was long considered by us to be mad."

"But as a Gerudo male, wouldn't he have been your ruler? How are you the Empress?" asked Princess Marion.

"Yes, he would have been king of a partition of Gerudo."

"How is that even being a king if it's not for the whole country?"

"It's just a title. I suppose technically he would have been closer to... a duke…?"

"So then, you're closer to…"

"A queen. But that does not matter." She took a drink of wine and managed not to grimace.

"When did you know he was mad?" Zelda asked.

"Early on, when he was a youth. He was incredibly quick to anger, and as a result of his upbringing, was accustomed to getting what he wanted. He was incredibly spoiled. And he was obsessed with ancient mythology, and the story of the Triforce. He believed he wielded a piece, and he believed the rest lay in Hyrule."

Zelda nodded. Link was silent.

"Are all the Gerudo men like this?" asked the archduke in horror.

"Not as far as I know," she answered. "I've only ever met the one. I hope it is not a trend."

"As do we all, I am sure," said Princess Marion.

Viceroy D'angrive, or Theo, was silent through all this. No wonder Link had ditched Verla. He'd found a bigger fish to latch onto. He looked critically at the queen, wondering how deep Link's claws had sunk in. He would be sure to warn her of Link's background.

"Then, if you were working as a ranch hand, what made you come to the castle? Her Majesty told us you weren't to be a soldier," asked Princess Marion.

"Well, I'm not an official soldier. I never completed the training."

"So… you failed training but still were able to beat that man?"

The next course came down, a bowl of Cambrisian onion soup. Princess Marion smiled when she recognized the dish, thinking it a tribute to her.

"No, no. I was chosen for… something else."

"Oh."

There was silence for a few minutes as they ate. Zelda glanced around, trying to be surreptitious. She wondered why Link and Theo antagonized each other; she assumed it had something to do with the girl he wanted to marry. She wondered if he would take offense if she asked him about it later. But so far it seemed that there were no secrets between them; it would be silly to have any. There was no reason for such. Ganon's attack had united them, quite neatly.

She looked towards Link, who was eating automatically, his spoon rising and falling as if set to a metronome. He'd been quite hungry, and she was sure that the poking and prodding of the dignitaries had done nothing for his mood. She gently nudged him with her elbow, and he looked towards her warily. She offered him a smile of apology, and his shoulders relaxed, his expression softening.

Theo watched this all happen with a critical eye. How far was Zelda in this little game? Too far, in his opinion.

He'd been horrified when Verla swore to stay back and watch the ranch. Rik had led the horses off that same day, and Theo knew he was taken care of, but where the hell was Link, and why hadn't he come running to help close the ranch?

"Someone has to keep guard over this place. This is my home. I am more than enough of a match for anything and anyone that comes here," she had told him determinedly when he argued with her, pleading for her to get in one of the carriages his father had arranged. She had her bow and arrow and showed him a little dagger strapped to her thigh, pressing the material of her skirt down around it (they were outside, after all. No need to be crude).

Theo kissed her firmly, the first kiss between them, and swore to come back for her the second she wrote him. Her parents knew better than to argue with her, but Theo could not help but try. And then he heard nothing from her for months, heard of how the armies and fires ravaged Hyrule's crops, how people were murdered without discretion and then the castle had been taken, and he knew all had been lost, and mourned for Verla.

Until he received her letter that she was ready to meet him, and marry him, and that she had refused all other suitors.

This surprised him; he did not realize that other suitors were an option. The only one he could think of was Link, and he saw Link coming to the ranch as a poor man with nothing to his name, his clothes in rags, and trying to lure Verla away from a good life that Theo could provide.

And to see him, lording it up in this castle and pulling a similar tactic on the queen (not his queen, no, but still), dressing himself in rich clothes and eating up her food (much like he himself was, but he missed this irony). He'd worked hard for his education and his place in society, and all Link did was walk in and seduce the queen. In his opinion. Just to see how she looked at him! It made one sick.

But no longer could he save the queen. He had a loving future wife, soon to be delivered to his house. He wished he'd known sooner they were going to be invited to the castle; he would have asked her to stay at the ranch and picked her up himself.

Theo kept quiet, and looked up when he saw the next course was coming; whole cooked quail, one for each. Zelda looked at the girl serving and gestured very slightly with her hands. The largest one went to the empress, then the princess, the archduke, then Theo, then Link, and finally herself.

The quail were stuffed with tiny pearl onions and bread crusts seasoned with salt, pepper, fresh rosemary and sage, and they were carefully cooked over the fire, not to enrich the flavor (though it helped) but because there weren't many left that were big enough to hunt. They were served with a portion of risotto, equally portioned. Zelda's quail was barely from her wrist to the first knuckle of her middle finger. Link looked at her plate out of the corner of his eye and looked at his own; it went almost to the tip of his middle finger. At least, for now, the guests seemed pleased.

"I'm quite impressed; if this is how Hyrule feeds its guests during a time of crisis!" the archuke said with a smile.

"It is through our concentrated efforts and your continued assistance that we can put even this meager amount on the table," Zelda said, smiling and dipping her head.

"It certainly seems like you might have a handle on running this country," the princess said with raised eyebrows.

"I'd like to believe I do."

"Have you thought yet about finding a king?"

"No, to be honest. I've been quite preoccupied getting my country back together."

The princess smiled. "I have a nephew, the Marquis of Prin, who I think you would do well with."

Zelda tried to recall where Prin was in her mental map, but she couldn't place it. "Oh, how advantageous." She watched Princess Marion guardedly; she would not be blackmailed or cajoled into a marriage to gain financial support.

"Where is Prin?" Link asked. He, too, was trying to find it on a mental map and was coming up short.

"Prin is a beautiful country out on our far west border, right on the sea."

Zelda realized why she couldn't think of it; Prin was an island, a tiny, near-uninhabitable place, with more cliffs than beach and more cloud than sun. It was practically a punishment to be there.

"It could make a lovely summer home location," she said smoothly. Link went back to his quail.

"What about you, Master Link?" the archduke asked suddenly. "Are there any women who may have caught your eye? I myself have some granddaughters…"

Zelda looked between the two old people, suspicious. They at least had some idea that Hyrule would either come back and boost their own finances, or that they could find security in marrying her into their families, and getting any sort of return on their investments possible. As for Link, with how the princess looked at him, she was probably considering him as one would consider a stud horse; good for breeding quality, and little else. It was predatory and disgusting, and she vowed to not cave to it. She would warn Link of the same.

"Well, there was one woman, but she found other suitors worth pursuing." _Not a ranch hand with nothing to his name and now no ranch_, he thought, biting it off short. He couldn't help but glance at Theo, who looked back.

"How surprising, considering your fame. Did she take it back?" Surprisingly, Jalila asked.

"I believe she wanted a quieter life for herself," Link answered.

Dessert came to the table. They ate it, pie or crème brulee or something. The archduke called for harder drinks, pleased to see a Cambrisian brandy come to the table ("I do believe it's one of the best things from the place," he confided to Princess Marion), and he and the princess laughed and talked as they took small sips. Zelda barely got through half of her glass, dead silent and sitting. Link didn't even touch his, nor did Theo. And Jalila had one drink, then declared herself quite tired from the thrill of travel, and left to rest.

It took a few extra hours, but finally the princess and archduke were helped from their seats and led to their guest rooms.

"Surely a great hero can handle such an old woman," the princess asked, none too subtle as she waved her hand at Link. He offered her a polite nod and took her arm, leading her down the hall.

"Your Majesty, if I may?" asked Theo, extending his own hand. Now was his chance.

And the archduke was left to be hauled to his room, chatting the whole way about the wars he'd seen (but never fought in) to the guards dragging him there.

Zelda let Theo take her hand, and they walked in silence to her rooms.

"Your Majesty, I admit I have some concerns about Master Link and his story," he said to her in a low voice.

"Oh?" Zelda tried to act innocent, looking towards him. "What is it?"

"You see, I met Link before, and he never seemed the hard-working type to me. All day while the sheep grazed, he could be found in the field snoozing or staring at the sky. He was previously involved with my fiancé, and I do not think he had noble intentions for her. It's my worry he does not hold them for you."

Zelda managed to squeak out an "oh?"

"I am surprised that the greatest army in the world could not take down one man, but another single man could? Your Majesty," and here his voice went to a whisper, "did you even see the body? How do you know this isn't a ruse to weaken your country?"

"What are you saying?" Zelda's voice had also gone quiet; it was either this or screaming.

"I think that… Master Link… may be a spy. That is why he was able to defeat him. He wants to ruin Hyrule."

"Do you have any proof?"

"Beyond my own convictions, no. I should tell you that I do not trust this man, and would not be surprised if he was possibly even in cahoots with Ganondorf—

That was it. Zelda couldn't hold herself any longer. She ripped her arm from Theo's grasp and slapped him across the face twice, her brow furrowed and her lips pursed. Theo gaped at her, his cheek already going bright red.

"Your Majesty!"

"If you ever, _ever_, bring up those sorts of implications about him again, I will have you beheaded. I do not care that you are not of my country, I will find something in the books of law and I will wield the sword myself. I do not care what grudge you have against him, but I have seen the dead body of Ganondorf. I looked him in the eyes while he died. I helped to bury him and salt the earth. You have not an inkling of what Link and I have dealt with and have been dealing with, and if you think for a second I believe anything you say against Link, you are the biggest fool I've ever laid eyes on."

She stepped back, clenching and unclenching her fists, taking deep breaths to calm down.

"I do not wish to see you for the rest of the evening. Do not think of issuing an apology, I will hear no more of this."

She turned and walked towards her room at a brisk pace, because it was the only thing she could think of to temper her rage. She stopped after ten paces, wheeling around again.

"And sheep can watch themselves. Everyone knows that."

\

The princess walked rather primly alongside Link; clearly she was either a seasoned drinker or ate more than he thought. They walked in silence to her door, and Link opened it for her, bowing his head.

"Have a good night, Your Highness," he said, leading her in.

"Do you want a night cap?" she asked, batting her eyes. Oh Din…

"No thank you, I had enough at the table. Good n—

"Master Link." Marion fluttered over to him on light little steps, her hands folded. "Is there… really… no woman in your life?"

"No. There isn't." He stepped away from her.

"You're not… you know…"

"No, Your Highness."

Her arms reached up to go around his neck.

"You're not really my type, Your Highness!" he said quickly, trying to step back out of her grasp.

"Oh dear, like I care about anything long-term. My husband and I know what our relationship is. He has his whores and I have my…" she reached out to touch his cheek, "friends."

"I have enough friends," he replied, pulling away from her cheek.

"What about Zelda? Does she have enough… friends?" Marion raised an eyebrow at him.

"I do not know." He folded his arms. "But I am one of them." He bit his tongue, this was a dumb thing to say.

"Oh! Oh, you two are…" She laughed. "I should have known, of course! This sort of thing always happens."

"Wait, I meant like actual friends—

"There is nothing wrong with a little play," Marion said smoothly. "Especially between two young people who have been through quite the ordeal. I'm certain if you go to her, she would be happy to have you."

"We're not like that, at all. She's too busy."

"No one's ever too busy," she answered.

"Uh, well, I'll consider what you're saying, but I think she would be offended."

"Only because you waited so long."

"Not everyone is like that. Zelda is a very private person. I respect her."

The princess sighed. "Well then. Respect is all well and good, I suppose, but in the end, is it enough?" She shrugged and stepped back, leaving Link out in the hall. "Good night." She shut the door.

Link muttered in annoyance, going back to his room. He dismissed the princess as being drunk; she would not have spoken so if she hadn't had so much to drink. He flexed his hands and was glad he could finally go to bed; it'd been a long struggle to not hit Theo in the face. Maybe now he could dream about it and find some relief. He opened his room door and undid the heavy wool coat's buttons and turning to throw it over a chair.

Someone was there already.

He jumped back and banged into the edge of the dresser. A bottle of expensive cologne (there to be there, not really his) fell off and shattered on the floor, and he hit the mirror with his hand while reaching for his sword (not there).

"Goddesses!" he cried out in alarm.

"I hit the viceroy," Zelda whispered, breathless.

Her eyes were huge and her hands were clutched in her lap. He thought she meant he hit her, until he realized she was so giddy she was curled up in excitement.

"What?" he asked, staring at her. Zelda may well have babbled at him in Ancient Hylian.

"I hit the viceroy. Theo D'angrive."

Link stared at her, and when he realized what she was saying, he burst out laughing.

"You hit him?"

Zelda giggled too. "Yes."

"Whatever for?"

"Oh. Well…" And here was the part where she hesitated. She didn't know how Link would deal with hearing such a story. "He suspected you as a spy for Ganondorf."

"What?" Link stared at her.

"He thought you defeated him too easily, and that it's a trap. That Ganondorf isn't really dead."

"But he is! I killed him! With my own hands!"

"I know, I know! And I told him that! I t… I told him how…" Zelda shuttered and closed her eyes, gagging a little. "I'm alright, I'm alright," she whispered when Link stepped forward.

"So…"

"He said you were a traitor, and I slapped him and threatened to behead him." She looked up at Link with a little smile, but it went away when she saw his face had changed to sad and disappointed. Link leaned against the dresser, folding his arms.

"What's wrong?" Zelda stood, lacing her fingers together.

"It _was_ easy for me to defeat him. I'm surprised this is the first we've heard of this nonsense. I know it won't be the last. I mean… if I weren't there, I'd think it was strange, too."

They stood in silence. Link's brow furrowed as he thought of something.

"How could you have that woman in this castle?"

Zelda looked at him, thrown off. "Who?"

"The… Gerudo woman."

"Oh, Empress Jalila? Actually, she wrote to me and asked if she could come for a visit. She seems incredibly apologetic, and so far she's been… well she hasn't tried to attack me." Zelda offered a half-hearted chuckle, and Link shook his head.

"Maybe I've just been… maybe I'm biased, but I don't care for them now."

"I know. I was reluctant at first, too. But we're doing her a disservice by assuming she will be just like him. I think we're done with that chapter in our lives, aren't we?"

"If we are, then why…" Link thumbed at his lips.

"What?" Zelda looked fearful and wary. "Is something going on? Are you having odd dreams?"

"No. No. Um… you know, forget it. Forget it."

"No, what is it? Please, talk to me." She moved closer to him, looking him in the face.

Link was backed up as far as he could go. "Zelda. It's… just an odd feeling." He moved towards her and squeezed her arm. "Do you want me to walk you to your rooms?"

"I think I've had enough walking with men who say ridiculous things." She shook her head. "It's either too much talk or not enough."

He let her go and Zelda walked to the door. "See you in the morning?" she asked.

"Sure."

She nodded a little bit, and left. Now that Link was finally alone, he undressed, removing his shirt and looking at his arm in the mirror. Zelda wouldn't be pleased; he'd still been wrapping clean bandage around it and giving it a good clean, but it wasn't healing up as quickly as it should. He removed the wraps now, and dabbed carefully at the tender skin where there was a little liquid pooling on the cut. It was tinged with a little blood, but it was mostly clear. As far as he could tell, it didn't stink, at least.

He sighed and got all the items needed to clean the wound and bandage it, nearly stepping on the broken cologne bottle in the process. He swore and swept up the mess, putting it all in a bin, then sat down to start his nightly ritual. He was so used to it that he could freely let his mind wander, and he thought of Theo, and the things he'd said to Zelda. It was insulting and infuriating, but even worse was that it was something he reluctantly expected might happen. He was just surprised it took this long for someone to finally say something. And he had to admit; the thought of Zelda slapping Theo's mouth off gave him a grin.

He flexed his arm experimentally and found he wrapped the bandages too tightly, so he sighed and unwound it again, starting over. He hoped that the confrontation between Theo and Zelda wouldn't mar her hopes for a peace treaty. And what about what the princess said? She had a nephew relegated to some rock in the middle of the ocean she could pawn off? And Marion had the nerve to make it sound so generous. Zelda wouldn't buy it for an instant; there was no way. What had the nephew done to get shuffled out there, anyway?

And then, because he'd been thinking of Theo, he thought of Verla, and hoped she was getting to his place safely enough, as he always did. He idly wondered if he shouldn't have borne her away from the house. They could have gone anywhere together, and… then what? He would have had no references for a job. Neither would she. Her parents might start to look for her. People in other countries might recognize him, and if they thought like Theo did, they might think of him as a spy, or a traitor to his country. It would cause too many problems for both of them, and he didn't want Verla to experience any of that.

And then he thought about Zelda, and found he admired her, and that he wanted to stay and help her. Even if the only help he could offer was to build walls and houses. And to keep her safe. He had a feeling she wasn't to be especially popular for a while, and he wanted to be sure he was there, just in case.

He looked at the back of his left hand, wondering what part of him still felt so protective, and thought about her a little longer.

\


	4. Chapter 4

Link watched Zelda carefully measure out a spoonful of sugar for her tea, his head resting on his hand. She stirred until she knew the sugar was dissolved, then let the tea rest for a few minutes.

"How did you sleep?" she asked finally, smiling at him.

"Eh, I've had worse nights." He shrugged his shoulders, studying the table.

"Where did you sleep when you were… out?" she asked, thinking those must've been the nights he meant.

"I didn't sleep much, actually. I think I got too paranoid out there, waiting for an attack and stuff. It wasn't too bad, though. I'd haul up in a tree when I couldn't keep my eyes open, strap in with my belt or some rope or something, and sleep for a few hours. A few times I'd wake up and there'd be birds lookin' at me. Once a squirrel got up on my shoulder. I guess I don't snore too loud."

"What about food? What did you eat?"

Link shook his head. "What does it matter? I ate whatever I could find, and kept going. You need to quit dwelling over what was done and… and focus on what can still be done."

Zelda looked at him in surprise, but she saw he was not being reproachful, and she relaxed. "I can't help it," she said quietly. "We had a hard enough time in the safehouse, and that was stocked."

She took a small drink, and sat, thinking about it. "Did you ever… just want to give up?"

"Give up?"

"Yes."

"Like…"

"Just let him win. Let him take the country."

Link thought, very carefully, frowning. "No. Not ever."

"Never once?" Zelda sounded mystified.

"Did you?"

"N… no. I thought that… even if you died, I would die too, defending this castle. I was so prepared for it." She thumped her fist on the table. "I didn't have any weapons or anything but I knew I would do it."

"See, we were chosen for this for a reason. We would rather die on our feet. That's how we are. That… might be why we are."

"Why we even exist?" asked Zelda quietly. "But is that our whole point?"

"Whoa. Come on now, you're getting sort of weird."

"Oh, I apologize."

"It's alright." The kitchen girl brought over another croissant, and Link hesitated. "Wait, I can't take this."

"It's fine," Zelda reassured him and the girl. "Really."

"Zel, I can't."

The kitchen girl glanced between them, waiting for someone to reach a decision.

"Take the food, Link." Zelda looked him in the face.

He hesitated, but finally he picked it up. "As long as you promise you won't yell at me later."

"I won't yell at you," she said, a smile forming.

He ate it in two huge bites.

"At least savor the damn thing!" she cried out.

"Hey! You said you wouldn't yell!"

"I thought you'd at least eat it normal, with some butter and jam!"

They both started laughing, which helped to break whatever tension had remained between them.

"Well. This certainly is a pleasant surprise."

The both of them looked up; it was Princess Marion at the door of the kitchens, and she was smiling at them. Link tensed up and looked away, and Zelda cocked her head, confused. The princess looked sharply to the kitchen girl, who looked down at the floor, remembering her place. It'd been nice to forget it for a while.

"I want some hot water up to my rooms for a wash, please. I'll send my breakfast order down soon after. Your Majesty, perhaps we should meet over lunch later? I would like to tell you more about my nephew."

"If I have time, I will see," Zelda answered. She waited until the princess turned away to go back to her rooms, and she looked at Link strangely, who had hardly looked up. She thought they'd gotten along alright; it surprised her to see him being so cold.

"What is it?" she asked him, her voice barely a whisper, though the princess was out of sight.

"She… she's just a weird old lady, is all," Link replied.

"How so?"

"I dunno. Maybe she just drank too much. But she tried to invite me in."

"What, to like… her rooms?"

"Ugh, yeah."

Zelda wrinkled her nose, then giggled a little. "You're scared of an old lady?"

"I am not."

She wanted to tease him longer, but he looked so perturbed by the idea that she didn't.

"I'm not… scared of her."

"No, I know that."

"She just said some weird things, is all."

"Well, she'd had a lot to drink."

"That's true."

"What were some of the things?"

"She was… Like how lonely uh… she was, and stuff. At home."

Zelda frowned. "That's weird, I thought she was married."

"She is, I guess, but it's for appearances."

"Sad."

"How so?"

Zelda shrugged. "I don't… I don't know. It just is. I guess I… I figured marriage was something to be done for a country. Now, I don't know." She turned her cup around and around nervously in her hands. "I think with everything that's happened… I think we've both changed a lot."

"I'm sure we have."

And then they sat in silence, for some time. Zelda's cup was long finished, but the seat had warmed under her, and the cooking fire helped. The halls would be quite cold.

"Um…" Link started, trying to find a thread of conversation.

"Link, if you don't mind my asking."

"What? No. Go on."

"What is it between you and Viceroy D'angrive?"

"Oh, Theo?" Link grimaced, wishing she hadn't brought it up. "Well, we… both liked the same girl. He won."

"That was who you visited, wasn't it," she said, but without really asking.

Link hesitated, but "Yes. I wanted to… see what her decision was."

"Oh." Zelda rubbed her hands together. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You know what? It was a relief, really. She was beautiful and strong and clever, but she was sort of cruel, too. She had me stringing along for a few years."

"Oh. I truly am sorry."

"I know. But it's alright." He stared at the dregs of his tea. There was a line, a narrow crease, between his brows.

"Are you really alright?" Zelda asked, quieter still.

"No, but what choice do I have?" He flexed his hand, and Zelda looked at it critically.

"Isn't that the arm you injured?"

"Yes. It just gets sore now and again."

"How's it healing?"

"Um, slowly."

"Slowly? How slowly? It's been almost six months." She frowned. "I'm calling in a doctor to see to it."

"It's not a problem, really."

"I think it is. At least let me call in a doctor to give it a look."

"It'll heal, really."

"Six months and it still hasn't! Don't be a fool, Link!"

"I'm not a fool!"

"You're acting like one!"

They were both standing, strangely enough. When had they gotten up? Zelda took a deep breath; they weren't really glaring at each other, but both wore a look of annoyance.

"Let me call in the doctor. Humor me. Please."

He looked her in the eye, and slowly, he sat down first. "Alright."

"Thank you."

\

Zelda summoned the doctor, and told Link he could wait in his rooms for some privacy. Link did so, annoyed at his obedience to her, always with the damn obedience to the crown that compelled him. It only bothered him when it seemed she was using it against him. Did she even know? That stopped him; she probably didn't even know. He sighed and leaned back in a chair, thinking.

Zelda, meanwhile, had other matters to attend to. She went to her rooms and dressed, applying some light makeup. She looked up when she saw a maid waiting for her attention, blinking. "Yes?"

"Your Majesty, I thought you would want to see the Viceroy off."

"What?" Zelda stared. "See him off?"

"Yes. He said there was a change in plans, and that he was quite ready to leave, with or without a peace agreement."

"Goddesses damn them," Zelda muttered, throwing down her makeup brush and storming out, her eyes tearing up from her speed.

Theo was just entering his carriage when she caught up to him out front.

"Viceroy!" Zelda shouted. "I'm sorry to see you go!" It was clear by her tone she wasn't.

The viceroy sighed. "I don't give a damn about your country if you don't, Your Majesty. You let that spy and traitor live in your castle and eat your food, I refuse to cooperate with anyone who does such a thing."

"He's not a spy! How dare you doubt my word!"

"You're a starstruck, silly girl, who doesn't know a damned thing! You're so in love with him you can't see the truth!"

Zelda gritted her teeth so hard her jaw ached. Her hands were in fists at her sides. "If you or your kin ever set foot in Hyrule again, I will hunt you down! I will search tirelessly for you until you run screaming from our borders! One toe, one hair, one thread over that country border and I will come for you, for speaking that way in my home! I will hunt you down like a dog!"

Theo was staring at her, as were some of the guards. "You're mad!" he cried, finally.

"And you're a bastard! Go!" She pointed outward, holding up her chin.

Theo didn't have to be told twice; he climbed into the carriage and shut the door, and they took off quickly towards the border. Zelda watched them, her cheeks red with rage and her eyes bright. Her hands ached. The doctor walked up carrying his bags and hesitated before approaching her, clearing his throat.

"Your Majesty? You brought me here to… see a patient?"

Zelda whipped her head and looked at him, her eyes wide and dangerous. When she realized it was the doctor, she relaxed, but not by much. "Good. Yes. Please, come with me."

\

The doctor sighed as he examined Link's arm. "Yes. Healing quite slowly, which is strange. Who attacked you?"

Link had to think, staring at his arm. "Um. I… was at the edge of Roldin, I think? The southern edge. It was a… an armored man with a huge sword." He did not know how big the doctor was on imagination, so he avoided telling him the armor was enchanted.

"Well whatever it was, it looks like the sword edge had traces of poison. Not enough to kill you, apparently, but a wound left untended would have gotten infected quickly. You're lucky the same had not happened to you."

"I kept it clean," Link answered simply.

The doctor sighed and started to rummage through his bag. "I'm going to apply some serums, and I'll stitch up the skin left open, to help keep infection out."

"Alright." He watched the doctor thread the needle, gripping the edge of the chair's arm and waiting. The pain of the needle was sharp and sudden, but the sliding of the thread through his arm was awful.

"Any other problems?" the doctor asked idly, as he worked.

"I have a hard time sleeping."

"Nightmares?"

"No. Not always. I just wake up early in the morning, every morning."

"What do you do then?"

"I've been heading downstairs and taking tea. If I'm going to be awake, it may as well be worth it."

"Hm."

Link's hand was aching, so he started biting his lip.

"So you have nightmares?"

"Sometimes."

"What about?"

"I don't… I can't always remember them." The doctor didn't need to know he was lying. Only Zelda would understand.

"Hm. It could be a part of the poison, depending. Delusions are a common side effect. But it would have had to be a stronger dose to cause them."

"Okay. So, not from that?"

"I understand that you and Her Majesty have had a great deal of stress some time back. I believe that your sleeping problems stem from such."

"Has Ze-… Her Majesty discussed this with you?" Link was surprised.

"No, but such things have a habit of being heard." The doctor finished, knotted the thread, and put fresh bandage over it. "Keep it bandaged. I'll be back in a week to check the progress, the stitches can probably be removed soon."

He cleaned up his bag and opened the door, nearly running into Zelda who'd been standing nearby, her arms folded. She smiled and dipped her head.

"Thank you, sir."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Anything for the castle."

"About payment…" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Do not worry about it." He bowed to her and turned, leaving. Zelda hesitated near the door to Link's room as he carefully tried to pull on his shirt. She watched him struggle for a few minutes.

"Do… you want help?" she finally asked.

"Uh… yes. Please."

Zelda walked up to him and helped him; his arm ached from the raw stitches, and they pulled painfully if he tried to lift it over his head.

"Maybe I should've just lost the arm," he joked, and Zelda shook her head.

"It won't hurt for long, you know?" She tied the lacing at his throat and patted the bow, stepping back. "There."

"Thank you." He looked at her carefully. "Are you going to be okay? How much are we in debt to Termina?"

"A lot," she answered. "More than I want to be. But then again, any level of debt is more than I want. Viceroys aren't even a rupee a dozen over there; I doubt he'll have much influence against the crown." She stood quietly, her brow furrowed. "But all the same, I'd rather not have any debt to them for long."

"Yeah," he answered.

"Well. I should probably get going. I told Princess Marion I'd meet her for lunch and I think she's inviting Empress Jalila, too." She turned to go, and Link reached out, touching her arm.

"Wait. Zelda."

"Yes?"

"Why… that viceroy? Why not someone higher up?"

"Oh. I… don't know. I suspect he was the first to ask to go." Zelda sighed. Link noticed for the first time that she had fine lines at the corner of her eyes and dark circles. "We've always had a good relationship with Termina, so they probably hoped this would be a fairly routine meeting."

"We need to get more sleep," he said offhandedly.

"Hm. Maybe we should stay in bed, then."

"That'd be a shame. I sorta like…"

"Yes. I do too."

They stared at each other.

"You're my best friend," Zelda said quietly. "I… I mean that you're my only friend."

He put his good arm around her shoulders and hugged her. She put her hands around him and hugged back. They sat like that for only a bit, and he let her go.

"Go on, then. Have a good lunch."

"What will you do?"

"I dunno. I'll think of something."

"Why don't you go on a hunt or something? I'm not sure when they do it, but it might be something."

"A hunt?"

"Yes. When was the last time you took poor… um… Epona? Right. When was the last time you took her out?"

"Well I asked the stable boys to let her out once in a while and give her a good run for an hour or so."

"Does she listen to them?"

"Mostly. I asked her to."

Zelda smiled. "Alright then. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, I'll be around."

Zelda left his rooms, and turned left, heading towards one of the viewing rooms.

\

It was definitely not the right weather for the room. The flowers that would have grown around the bay window, and in the gardens it faced, were dead and dry, the grass brown and sad.

"I do hope it at least snows soon," Marion said, staring out at the dead grounds. "Something to cover up all this mess!"

"I don't know if I could stay until snow weather; it will be difficult to get back home, won't it?" asked Jalila, looking towards Zelda.

Zelda smiled at her. "We do have quite a bit of equipment, actually, that can be used to modify a carriage for snow."

"And the horses?"

"Yes, the horses too."

Jalila raised her eyebrows. "How impressive; what do you use?"

"Well," Zelda thought. "It's sort of like plates of woven straw that fit onto the horse's hooves. It's the same on the carriage wheels, but it's… it's sort of like a giant ribbon that loops over the wheels on either side. The regular wheels would just sink and get stuck.

"How does it work?"

"Um, the woven straw, when wide enough, helps to displace the weight of the carriage across a wider space, so there is less pressure placed on the snow under the tires, keeping them relatively above the snow and out of it."

Jalila and Marion stared at her.

"Where did you learn all that?" Marion couldn't help but ask.

"I… asked the man who designed it." She took a sip of her lunch; a pumpkin soup, and smiled at them. "Your Eminence, I've never been to Gerudo myself. What is it like?"

"Oh this time of year, it's perfect. We get some good breezes off the water that cools down the air. It almost gets cold enough for long sleeves."

"Off the water? I thought Gerudo was a desert," Marion asked.

"It is, of course. But to the far south we meet the ocean. Most of the country keeps homes down there." Jalila took a little sip. "It is also where most of our trade operates, because of the beach front." She smiled. "It could be good to have visitors down there someday. I would hope that we can work out some trade agreements with Hyrule. I believe you also have a southern beach, correct?"

"Yes, we do. And a little to the east. But you would have to sweep around Roldin. It might be faster to continue travel by land, because we can just cut across it. As long as I don't fight with the archduke at all."

"Yes, I heard the viceroy left this morning?" asked Princess Marion. "You two were shouting at each other in the front yard."

Jalila looked at Zelda with interest, and Zelda turned red. "He insulted my home and myself. I would not tolerate anyone. Hyrule can stay broke for all I care, but I will not apologize to him."

Both Jalila and Marion nodded in approval, which surprised her.

"While screaming at each other before the whole castle may not have been the best tactic, I do admire you for defending yourself," Marion said.

"Just because your country is struggling doesn't mean you have to grovel before the others," Jalila added.

"I hope to continue to handle our situation with as much dignity and grace as I can, but often I'm not sure what to do next."

"Wait for the problems to come to you. I'm sure you'll figure out a solution," Jalila said.

Marion looked out the window, and they all turned when they heard a trumpet.

"Oh, they must be going on the hunt."

\

Link watched Zelda leave his rooms, and then he sat down, pulling on his boots and tying them tightly. She had a point; Epona was surely going crazy in the stables (and he knew the boys had not been able to handle her completely), and perhaps fresh air would do him some good. After another glance around the sitting room, he left, shutting the door, and headed downstairs to the main door, then outside into the bitter cold and towards the stables.

He was halfway there when the stableboys spotted him and came running over.

"Oh thank Farore, Master Link! Your horse is being…. well, very spirited!" said the older one.

"She's bored, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty bored. But she bites us if we try to take her out!"

"Well alright, let me see what I can do."

He could hear thumping and screaming (mostly human) from the stable before they quite reached it, and Link broke into a run, bursting in. "What's going on?" he shouted.

One of the other stablehands was cowering from Epona, who was rearing up in her stall, a bridle half-attached to her head. Link moved quickly to her, her eyes wild and her coat sweaty.

"Epona!" He whistled shrilly at her, in a quick, sharp tone. After a few more tries, the horse calmed down and stayed standing, though she was still trembly.

"What the hell happened?" Link commanded, looking around.

"I was just trying to get her ready for a ride and she started to thrash around with the bridle, sir!" the panicked stablehand told him, still on the floor. Link reached out with one hand and let Epona sniff it, and she snorted, bumping her lips into his palm. Carefully, Link reached around and started to remove the bridle, noting that she shied and jerked away when he got to the strap over her muzzle.

"It's alright. Come on." Talking softly to her in a low tone, he was able to convince Epona to let him remove the bridle. There was a sore spot underneath on her nose, and when he looked at the back of the bridle he saw the material was cracking and breaking down, and had been irritating her coat with each wearing.

"This bridle is no good," he snapped, throwing it down. "You'll need to get some cotton or something and line it underneath. Look at it." He turned to look at the stablehands standing in the doorway. "Get me some horse salve, then. Quickly."

They did as he asked, and Link opened Epona's stall door, going in and standing right next to her. She stank, and he looked at the floor of the stall; it was a mess, and looked as if it hadn't been swept out in a few days.

"What the hell have you been doing here?" he shouted. Epona jerked a little at his tone, and Link put a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "This stall is a mess, my horse is injured, which you didn't tell me about, which should have been a priority—

"We're out of salve, sir," one of the stablehands managed to squeak out.

Link pulled in his anger and looked to Epona. "Come on. Let's get you out of here." They moved away from him quickly as he led her outside. Epona immediately shook herself and did little prancing circles, kicking her back legs and giving herself a good stretch.

"Why the hell is Zelda paying for three of you idiots? No one's keeping track of equipment, no one's ordering supplies—

"There hasn't been any money!"

"Then she should let one of you go! You're a waste of resources!" He glared round at them. "I want that stable spotless and in order when we get back. I want everything organized and a list of supplies to be ordered written up. And I want all equipment with excessive wear to be put in a pile for assessment."

The stablehands nodded. "Yes, yes sir."

Link turned to Epona and whistled. She trotted happily over to him, her tail swishing. It and her mane were looking matted, and Link turned and stared at the stablehands. They flinched in his gaze. He wanted to ask them for a comb, but he heard the hunting horn go off. He touched Epona's shoulder and led her to the old mounting block, climbing up. Bareback would do.

With the bond between them, he effortlessly led her over to the hunting party, who looked at his unadorned horse in surprise.

"Where's her saddle, Master Link?" asked the archduke, who was apparently joining them.

"No clue. Stablehands don't know a damned thing."

"Have to put them to rights, did you?" he said, nudging Link's arm.

"Yes. I'm gonna tell Zelda about it when we get back. Nothing was in order, her stall was disgusting…" He frowned.

"Well, we'll go on a good chase and you can blow off some steam so you're not the next one fighting with her."

"The next one? Oh, right. Theo."

"That queen's a little firecracker, isn't she!" The archduke laughed. "She should've been born a man!"

"Why? She's the natural heir to Hyrule; she'll still rule it when she's married."

"Yes, but you know. They can't make good military leaders. A woman in command; she goes into hysteria once a month and ends up putting her own army against itself over an imagined slight!"

"Zelda's very cool-headed, she's not like that at all."

"She didn't seem so this morning. And how did you come to be on a first name basis with Her Majesty?" The archduke raised an eyebrow at Link and grinned, leaning towards him. "Quite good friends, are you?"

"What's wrong with that?" Link turned away from him to signal he was done discussing the matter. It was just as well; one of the runner boys was whispering at him and trying to hand him up a bow and a quiver of arrows. "What do we hunt today?" Link asked in a low tone.

"Whatever we can find, same as any day, sir."

"Oh. Thank you." He hooked the bow by the string over his arm, so that the handle rested against his back, and looped the quiver over his other arm so that he could remove one and not the other, and hopefully they wouldn't get too tangled in the process.

The guard captain, taking charge, blew his horn again and they headed out, moving towards the open fields and the woods in the distance. They kept their horses at a trot, so as not to wear them out before they actually began. Link turned his head from side to side, watching as the hunting party formed a line, riding abreast. They swept over the fields, flushing out rabbits (which were fired at) and birds (which were generally left alone). The rabbits that were slain were left where they were; helpers running along behind picked them up and started to field dress them, killing them if need be with a quick twist of the neck.

Shortly before the woods, the party stopped. Link pulled Epona up short by her hair. They dismounted and kept the line formation, going in amongst the trees. Link understood immediately; the thickness of the growth in some spaces would just ruin their ranks, and the horses wouldn't be able to pass in a quick chase. The line formation broke up a little regardless; the men took deer trails, or followed a fresh-looking track, but even with this they were sweeping methodically through a large expanse of the woods.

Soon, Link found himself quite alone. He heard birds chirping overhead now and again; the ones staying for winter. He heard the cracking of a branch sometimes, usually under his own foot, sometimes to one side, and he assumed it was another hunter.

He heard a snuffling, stamping noise ahead, and his first thought was that he'd found a boar; a rare and happy find. Link paused at a huge tree, preparing his bow, and slowly turned towards the snuffling, notching an arrow.

But it wasn't a boar. It was one of Ganondorf's little goblins.

Link froze, staring at the goblin. His heart started to pound and his every nerve was on fire. The goblin was clearly malnourished and alone; he wore scraps of clothes and his skin was sallow, his body emaciated. He had a pitiful fire pit and a half-hearted tent of a blanket propped up on some sticks. There were some bones and refuse laying around from his meals, and his weapons were in a pile on the ground, the sword half out of its scabbard and rusty, the bow left stringed, stretching out the delicate fibers.

Slowly, Link raised his bow.

The goblin jerked his head and they stared into each other's eyes. The goblin shrieked and limped to his weapons quickly; Link then realized he had an injured leg. It looked as if it'd been fallen on, and healed bad. Link fired an arrow at the goblin's hands, barely missing him, keeping him from getting that sword.

The goblin began to babble in their angry, growly little language and tried to charge at Link. Link took his bow in one hand and moved forward, grabbing the goblin by the forehead and shoving him to the ground. The goblin struggled to get up, but Link stepped up and put his boot on the goblin's chest. The goblin barely fought, just staring at him with hateful yellow eyes.

"How many more are there?" Link asked him sharply, readying an arrow and pointing at the goblin's head.

The goblin hissed and wagged his tongue from a mouthful of broken and missing teeth.

"HOW MANY?" Link shouted. He drew back his arrow.

The goblin flinched and looked away, hissing in a low voice, trying to communicate.

"…"

Link narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying you're the last one?"

"…"

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"…"

Link fired. The arrow went through one of those baleful yellow eyes and sunk into the ground. The goblin thrashed under his foot, squealing, and Link moved his boot upward and crushed in the goblin's throat. It took a few minutes, but soon the goblin was still, blood pooling in the back of his mouth.

Link slowly raised his foot and moved back, shivering. He touched his forehead and both shoulders in the sign of the triforce, and spat on the ground. He looked around the camp, but there was nothing; no money, no useful items. Just the poorly cared-for weapons and the dead goblin.

He looked around, and quickly left the camp to continue the hunt.

\

They brought twelve rabbits, sixteen pheasants, and even a few pygmy deer; a smaller breed than their massive Hylian counterparts. Link didn't get anything on his own, besides that dead goblin. He hoped the creature wasn't lying about being the last one; but even if he thought he told the truth, he could still be wrong. Link would have to let Zelda know, so that she could have the army briefed.

Unfortunately, Link let his thoughts linger too long. Why had he crushed the little fellow's windpipe? Why hadn't he pierced him in the heart, somewhere fast and lethal, instead of through the eye? Though he was hungry, he barely ate his lunch, instead brooding. He managed to eat some of the food, handing off the rest to a hungrier and younger soldier, and then he left the dining hall and went to find Zelda.

She was, as was her habit now, in her room at her writing desk, updating their accounts. She had a furrowed brow and was resting her forehead against her palm, the elbow of that hand planted firmly on the desk as she wrote with the other. Her mouth moved a little as she whispered the calculations out loud.

Link was invited in and the maid went to announce him to Zelda, but Link grabbed her arm and shook his head. He didn't want to interrupt Zelda's math. Instead, he sat down at a little table in the center of the room, similar to his own, and waited.

After five minutes, Zelda finally put her pen down and leaned back, closing her eyes and carefully turning her head to crack her neck. Link winced a little at the sound. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Hello."

"Hey."

Zelda looked to one of the maids. "Can you bring us water, please. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, water's fine."

The maid nodded and went to get their drinks.

"So. How was the hunt?"

Link looked around. The other maids were cleaning or tending to the fire, which did little to warm the room.

"It was alright. Actually, I had some concerns about the stables."

Zelda folded her hands. "What about them?"

"They don't have certain supplies they need. Epona's stall was filthy. She had a chafed spot on her nose from a bad bridle which they kept putting on her without any sort of padding, and her hair is a mess."

Zelda frowned. "The horses are being neglected?"

"Yes."

"What did you do?"

"I told them to take inventory of what they need and what equipment is unsalvageable, and to clean everything. I'll probably go down there soon and see what they've come up with."

Zelda nodded. "Good."

He hesitated, then went ahead to talk. "I know you don't… I'm not trying to tell you how to run the country, but I will suggest that you have too many stablehands who don't know what they're doing. There's three of them and they couldn't even keep a stall clean."

"No, I'm glad you told me. This is very troubling." She drummed her nails on the desk, thinking. "Can you take me there? Show me the problems?"

"Yeah." They both stood and Zelda pulled on a heavy brocade jacket. It was worn at the elbows and shoulder seams, and the fur was a little patchy in places. One of the buttons was missing. She buttoned it up best as she could and pulled on her heavy boots, also looking a little rough, and Link escorted her downstairs and outside.

Epona was fighting all attempts to be brushed, so she'd been left to prance around in the yard while the stablehands continued to collect and count the items that were too worn to continue using. The pile was disquietingly large. The stablehands stopped and bowed their heads when they saw Zelda, quiet and scared.

Link went to the pile of damaged goods and crouched down, starting to look through it. Zelda followed him over and watched him over his shoulder. Saddles were starting to split apart as their seams frayed away, more bridles with cracked cavesons that could splinter in a horse's mouth. There were broken stirrups and stressed cantles that would no longer properly support a rider's back. Some saddlebags had worn-through holes in the corners.

"Where's my saddle and bridle?" he asked the stablehands. "The ones that I told you were meant only for my horse?"

"The archduke wanted them for his horse, sir."

"I don't care what the archduke wants," Link snapped. "I told you guys specifically that that stuff was for me and my horse alone."

"Sir, it was either that or Her Majesty's equipment. It's the best stuff we have on hand."

Link hesitated and looked at Zelda, then back to them. "Oh."

"You should have asked us, regardless," Zelda told them. "The archduke is permitted to use my equipment if need be."

Link looked back over the equipment and stood. "What about the list of supplies needed?"

"Here, sir." One of the stablehands handed over the list and Link read it, taking his time to get through the messy shorthand. Epona came over and snorted at his cheek, and he absently rubbed under her chin while he read.

"Where's my horse?" Zelda demanded, staring at Epona's tail.

"In her stable, Your Majesty."

"Bring her here."

The stablehand ran off to get the horse, and Zelda carefully came around to Epona's other side, letting the horse pause to sniff at her and decide her acceptable before allowing Zelda to carefully start finger-combing her hair.

"How the hell are you out of oats? What have you been feeding them?"

"We just ran out today, sir. Honest."

"Is that the truth?" He turned to look at Epona, who blew gently in his face. It seemed so; her breath was certainly oaty. He grinned and kissed her muzzle, careful of the pink spot. The stablehand stared, not quite understanding what Link was doing.

Zelda looked up when she saw her horse, trotting along happily alongside the stablehand. Her horse stopped a few feet from her, sniffing at Epona warily. Epona snorted and edged away. Zelda patted her horse's muzzle, going around in a circle and looking her over.

"How are the horses' shoes?" he asked one of the stablehands sharply. "Do we need to check those?"

The stablehand mumbled a reply. Zelda carefully checked her own horse's hooves, noting that they looked alright. Apparently her horse had been getting the best care. At least it was one less thing to worry about.

"Well, while you took care of my horse, you forgot that all horses need the same equal care," Zelda said loudly, looking at the stablehands. "Is this too much work for you?" She looked them over carefully, and frowned. "Weren't there more of you?"

"There are more of them?" Link asked in annoyance from where he was looking over the supplies critically, to see what could be salvaged. Zelda waved a hand at him to shut him up.

"Who's in charge of you?"

The stablehands looked at each other. "He left when the attack started, Your Majesty."

"So… you've been without a manager this whole time? And never said anything?" She stepped towards them. "You thought you could get away with it and have this level of neglect without anyone noticing or saying anything?"

The stablehands flinched.

"This is unacceptable! Especially for our country! Do you know who truly pays you? Because it's not me. I have to borrow every rupee that puts food in your mouth and clothes on your back. And you repay me by putting everyone's horses in dangerous, unhealthy conditions!"

She looked round at them, glaring.

"I have never been so disappointed."

The stablehands stared at the ground. Link slowly straightened, dusting his hands off on his pants.

"Hey Z… Your Majesty."

"Yes?" She turned and looked at him.

"I'd be willing to help whip them into shape."

The stablehands flinched.

"Would you now?"

Link shrugged. "For a few months, at least."

Zelda nodded, glancing at the stablehands then at Link. "Thank you."

"Anything for the crown," he replied casually.

\

Link spent the day making sure the stables were cleaned completely. He double-checked the order list and cursed; he had to add more to it. He would have to get estimates for the cost and submit it to Zelda for her to look over. He had Epona washed and combed her hair himself while the stablehands did their tasks, and he organized the work bench himself, throwing out anything that had gone bad beyond saving.

He barely tasted his food at dinner, and barely spoke, even when addressed. He was angry about the state of the stables and Epona's coat; at least he'd been able to salvage it. He demanded all the horses be rounded up outside and inspected; a few had outgrown and lost their shoes, and they'd been ridden out to the fields like that. At least it wasn't over the cobbled streets, but still. It would have been unacceptable at Verla's father's ranch; for the castle it was beyond belief.

He left dinner early and Zelda gave him a little wave as he left, and he headed up to his rooms. He thought he heard a snuffling, grumbling noise and looked around sharply, but it was only the sounds of his own feet, echoing oddly in the hall.

He sat in his rooms for a while, staring at himself in the mirror and thinking about the gurgling and the wet crunch as he stepped on the goblin's windpipe; that rending sound of wet cartilage. Even when he tried to will it away, the sounds circled back in his mind, and suddenly he flung himself into his bathroom and vomited what little he'd eaten into the chamber pot. He dry-heaved once or twice, his stomach cramping, and when he was certain he was done, he stood slowly and went into his bedroom, getting himself a glass of water. It was so sweet against the acid in his mouth he almost vomited again, but he forced himself to rinse his mouth before actually drinking.

Then, he set the glass down and went to Zelda's rooms.

/

Zelda waved good night to Link and remained with her guests. They talked about Zelda's plans for winter; she definitely wanted to commence with the Kerzenacht ceremonies.

"The most important thing I can do right now, is to keep the people's morale high. And this is an old tradition, an important one. Getting the actions of the country back to normal with routine and tradition will do more for this country than any money," she explained.

The archduke nodded. "I agree. You'll need a Master of Ceremonies as well, won't you?"

Zelda smiled, squeezing one hand into a fist under the table. "Yes, I believe so. I had planned on asking Master Link to accompany me."

"My nephew—" Princess Marion began.

"I have a grandson that would do well to get such exposure," the archduke cut in.

"We have no males to offer up," Jalila said simply, when Zelda looked at her to see if she had any unwarranted input.

"I shall consider both of the choices you have put forth," she said, glancing to the archduke and the princess. "I appreciate your suggestions."

They chatted a little longer, and finally Zelda begged exhaustion from the day and headed to her rooms. Her maids greeted her as she walked in, reaching up to pull pins from her hair. She looked up and stopped cold, startled.

"Also, Master Link is here to speak with you," one of the maids said quickly.

Zelda let her hands fall, and Link shook his head. "You can do your routine, I just came to talk."

She nodded, and looked at him a little closely. "Is everything alright?"

"Uh…" he looked around with his eyes. He didn't want to make any mention of even one of Ganondorf's forces being around, to pin down rumors and hysteria.

Zelda sighed. She wanted to sit down and go over her papers one more time before a hot bath, but Link looked troubled.

"Let's go for a walk before bed, yes?"

He nodded and escorted her out, her arm in his.

They headed out to the dead garden walkways, their feet crunching on the frosty leaves.

"So what is it?" Zelda muttered, looking at him.

"I found a goblin in the woods today."

She stopped dead and he kept going, losing her hand. He turned around to face her.

"You're kidding. Was he dead?"

"No. He was alive. I… killed him."

"Well, good."

Link winced. "I'm not so sure about that."

"Why not?"

"He was injured and sickly. It was pretty gruesome, I… I shot him with an arrow."

"But you've done that loads of times."

"Yeah but I… I kinda pinned him down with my boot and stepped… stepped on his neck."

Zelda pursed her lips, her eyes going wide. She looked at Link in shock for a minute before she could speak.

"You… Din's breath, Link."

"He just… I just… he was suffering anyway, and he was dying, and I panicked. He claimed he was the only one and the others were long gone and there was no point in attacking without Ganondorf, but I killed him like a bad dog anyway. I… I fucking crushed his throat with my boot, like it was nothing. And yeah I've killed a ton of those guys but…"

Zelda moved close to him and Link ducked away from her touch, but she forced her way forward anyway and put her hands on his shoulders.

"Link, listen to me. You panicked, that's all. You knew you couldn't leave him alive and you had to be sure he was dead."

"Yeah."

"And who knows if he was telling the truth? You had to do it. No one blames you; they would've done the same." She moved her hands up to his face, cupping it and looking into his eyes. "They would've done it to you without a second thought."

"Do you really think so," he asked in a dry tone.

"Yes, I do. It's alright." She pressed against him and put her arms around his shoulders, and reluctantly, he wrapped his around her waist, hugging her close. They stood like that for a while, because the other felt so warm.

"How's your arm healing up?" Zelda asked quietly in his ear. Link shivered, but only because of the way her lips accidentally brushed one of the ridges.

"Not sure, I haven't looked at it today," he answered.

"We should go in and look at it," she replied, her cheek against his. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I think I am. Thank you."

"Do you think the stablehands will improve?"

"I think so, with discipline… can we talk about this inside? I'm getting a little cold."

"Yes, alright. Sorry." She let go and stepped back, and he took her arm again and walked with her back into the castle. They headed directly to his room, and Link sat down and started to pull off his shirt. Zelda pulled up a chair across from him, helping to unknot the front.

"So yeah, with some discipline and stuff, you should be able to make the stablehands useful again. Hopefully one of them will have enough sense to take over as head once done."

"Oh, I thought that…"

"You're already paying three guys to do a terrible job, you don't need to pay a fourth."

Zelda helped him pull off his overshirt and then rolled up the sleeve on his injured arm, unknotting the bandages. "Yes, but… I owe you. I can at least give you something."

"It's fine."

She worked tirelessly on the knot, picking at it with her long nails. "Link."

"Yeah?" He watched her hands.

"Do I ask you to do too much?"

"What?"

"I mean… first you trained the soldiers and work with them, then you were rebuilding Hyrule, instilling order, helping with the hunt, and now you're… helping improve the stables. And… I mean there's your stipend, but I feel it's too much work—

"Stipend?"

"Yes. The money you're paid for being a volunteer knight."

"What money?"

Zelda stopped unwinding the bandage and they looked at each other strangely.

"You… have an account with our bankers. You get paid automatically each month a sum of five hundred rup—

"Five _hundred?_" he asked in disbelief. "Zelda!"

"What! I had to do something!"

"That is unacceptable! How long have I been this… knight?"

"S… six months."

He did some quick math and stared at her. "I have three thousand rupees sitting in a bank somewhere?"

"Well, twenty-two hundred because of the tax, but—

"No! Zelda, take it all back. Take me off the list to receive that or whatever."

"I can't!"

"Then I'll give it to you!"

"Link!"

"I don't care about getting paid!"

"I feel bad!"

"It's not your fault he came back! It's not your fault we had this destiny!"

"I know, but you're basically helping me keep Hyrule together and I had to do something!"

"You're going to quit paying me. You're going to take that money back."

"I can't, it's your money now and you still have the title."

"Then… then I quit! You can have the title."

"You can't quit, it's granted to you."

"And when the hell did this even happen? Farore's hand, Zelda!"

"I…" she shook her shoulders. "I wrote it into one of the first changes, some time back."

He groaned and shook his head. "Come on."

Zelda looked at him warily, then resumed undoing his bandages, revealing his arm. It seemed the surgeon's tiny neat stitches were effective; there was hardly any fluid on the bandage, and the puckered skin was starting to come together.

"There's a gel or something he gave me to put on it between changes," Link said, looking at it. "If you'll get it for me…"

Zelda stood and went to the dresser, finding the tiny glass jar and coming back, applying it herself to his arm.

"I can do that," Link offered.

"I want to do something for you, for once," she retorted.

"You don't have to. You're already giving me five hundred rupees a month."

"Be quiet."

His mouth clammed up, and Link rolled his eyes. It took a few minutes, but he was soon able to speak again.

"I hate it when you do that, you know."

"Do what?" She glanced at him as she started to wrap up his arm, snipping off the dirty part of the bandage.

"That thing. You tell me what to do and… and I do it."

"What?" She looked at him in disbelief; Link was full of surprises.

"Yeah. It's… oh. I guess you don't know."

"No, I don't. What happens?"

"Like… if you ask or tell me what to do, I end up doing it."

"I appreciate that."

"But it's like I have no choice. I have to do it."

"I… I had no idea."

"I didn't think so."

"Why do you think it is?"

"I've no idea."

They sat together in silence.

"Is it… is it anything? Anything I ask?"

"Yeah, more or less. It's most effective when it's like an order, though."

"Ugh, if only I could have a dozen of you staffing the castle. It would be so much easier." She laughed a little and stood. "I think I'm going to go lie down. Will I see you in the morning?"

"Yeah. Yeah."

"You're not just saying that because I asked?"

"I'm sure of it. It's not like you commanded me to wake up with you, right?"

"I certainly don't believe so… I hadn't been, right?"

"No, I think it's… part of everything else."

He stood to see her out, opening the door for her.

"The morning, then," she said quietly.

"Yeah, of course."

"If you want." She looked at him and smiled a little. Link thought she was waiting for something, but then she said "Good night" and turned and went down the hall.

Link shut the door and lingered a minute, and then he went to the pile of supplies for his arm. He looked at the salve and thought of something, and without pulling on a new shirt, he headed out towards the stables.

The night was dreadfully cold; he could see his breath. Snow would come any day now, he was sure of it. He opened the stable door carefully and walked in; in the moonlight he could see the work they'd been doing. The building definitely smelled better now, and the horses sniffed at him in sleepy curiosity as he passed.

"Epona," he whispered quietly. Epona shook her head and blinked at him, snorting. "I've got something that might help," he whispered to her. He put one hand under her jaw, rubbing her chin, and she snorted again in approval. He opened the jar and set it atop her stall door, dabbing a little bit on his fingers and taking her jaw again in his hand, carefully dabbing at the sore spot. Epona jerked a bit at first, but he started to whisper to her in a low tone, and she calmed down.

"This should help," he told her quietly. When it was applied, he kissed the end of her nose and gave her another little scratch on the chin. "Get some sleep," he told her, closing up the bottle and heading back toward the castle again. He sighed, heading to his room, and looked up when he saw the empress standing there, her arms folded.

"Uh… Your Eminence. Is everything alright?"

"Would you walk with me for a bit, Master Link? I need to clear my head."

/

He walked alongside Jalila out in the dead gardens, feeling a little bit of déjà vu. But of course he wasn't going to tell her about crushing a goblin's throat in the middle of the woods.

"It's so cold out here. I don't know how you can stand it," Jalila said suddenly.

"Living in Hyrule long enough, you get used to it." Link had insisted on grabbing a coat before they headed out, but Jalila was wearing only a thin shawl. He looked at her, and she was walking with her arms folded. Link closed his eyes in frustration and removed his coat, putting it on her shoulders, reaching a little to do so.

"Thank you," she said with a smile, holding his coat on. "You are very kind, considering your experience with our people."

"Well, you know. It's not right to judge someone by their looks. Everyone's different."

They trudged along. Link was desperate for sleep; it'd been a stressful day.

"Are you and Her Majesty together?"

What, was Princess Marion with them? He looked up at Jalila. "No. We are not."

"Good. So it would not break her heart if you left."

Link tensed. Damn that he didn't bring a sword! "Why would I leave?"

"Well. We don't have… many men of quality in Gerudo. Most of the men that come to live with us are outlaws, or exiles, or shipwrecked sailors. They're crude and more often than not, they're hardly worth the effort of saving." She swept back some hair from her face and looked at him with a wide smile, her eyes narrowed. "You could be an emperor. Or better; part of my personal coterie."

Link cleared his throat and stepped away from her. "Your Eminence, I respectfully decline. I have too much work to do here in Hyrule."

"What work could you possibly need to do here? What do you do for Her Majesty?"

"I'm helping to get the soldiers and the horse stables back in order. I'm helping to rebuild the town."

"_That's_ what she does with you? Such a waste!" Jalila shook her head. "I am telling you, Master Link, you would be far happier in Gerudo."

"I apologize, but I think I would be bored," Link responded.

Jalila grabbed him by the hair and kissed him hard, licking at his lips. Link stepped back and wiped his mouth on his sleeve, staring at her.

"I promise, you would not be bored," she hinted, folding her arms. "I suppose I can give you a day or two more to think about it, while I think about signing a peace treaty with Hyrule."

Link narrowed his eyes. "You're trying to ransom my country's safety?"

"Yes. I suppose so."

"I won't be bullied, Jalila," he snapped. "I'm not coming with you."

She stared at him in silence for a while. "Pity," she finally said in a low tone. They stared at each other in the cold. Link watched her carefully, waiting for to make a move.

"Very well, then." Jalila threw his coat to him. "I suppose Hyrule will have to go elsewhere for its credit."

Link watched her storm off to the castle, and he swore under his breath. Zelda would be upset; she lost the support of two major countries, and in a way they were both his fault. He headed inside and went directly to his room, to lay in bed and stare at the ceiling until morning.


	5. Chapter 5

Zelda pulled on her robe and brushed her hair. She was exhausted, but already she was thinking of things to do for the day. Link would probably continue to work at the stables, and they had a shipment of supplies coming in from Roldin for that, and meanwhile she would make her plans to turn the Kerzenacht event into a charity auction and ball. What she was going to auction, she wasn't sure; perhaps some of the remaining artifacts left? She'd thought once or twice about asking Link if he would accept a dance with him being one of the auctions, but it didn't sit right with her. It was as bad as their guests trying to foist her off on their relatives.

The door to her rooms opened and the maid bowed low. "Good morning, Master Link," she said quietly.

Zelda turned around in surprise and looked at Link with wide eyes; he looked haggard, stubble on his face and his hair a mess.

"Are you alright?"

"Uh… yeah. How… did you want to walk down together?"

"Um, yes. I'm almost ready." She braided her hair to one side and tied it off with a little ribbon, and put on her slippers. Link looked down at his hands.

"Alright, let's go." She walked ahead of him and he followed along behind until the door was shut, then she slowed down and he took her arm.

"This is nice; we'll get down there at the same time for once," Zelda said, tossing her hair.

"Well there's a reason for it," Link muttered.

"Oh?" Zelda looked at him. "Come on. Out with it. It's not still about the woods, is it?"

"Last night, I went for a walk with Jalila."

Zelda stopped, and he did with her.

"Alright."

"She wants me to go with her to Gerudo as… her harem boy, I guess, or she'll pull her signature from the treaty and any support from Hyrule."

Zelda stared at him. "What?"

Link rubbed his eyes. "I told her no. I have too much to do here."

Zelda touched his rough cheek. "Link." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"How much is it going to screw us over? If you need me to go, I'll go."

"Link. We haven't borrowed a dime from Gerudo. I'm crazy enough to invite her here, but I'm not so desperate as to get money from them."

He looked at her in relief. "Are you telling me the truth?"

"Why would I lie to you? Think about it; why would I borrow anything from a country that sent us our greatest enemy?" She sighed. "That… you know, I had my doubts. But I let her come here out of good will."

"Zel, why do you think she was so desperate to come here?"

"I don't know. Could be anything. She could be trying to scope us out for further attack, but good luck getting across Roldin. She could just want to see the legendary hero, which I think we've determined is definitely a reason," she frowned, ticking off on her fingers, "or it … it could be that Gerudo is doing poorly."

"It could, couldn't it." Link smiled a little. Zelda smiled back. "What's the country's major export to Gerudo?"

"Same thing to all countries. Wheat. She's desperate, and trying to find any way she can to get something out of us."

"A trade agreement by ransom, for chance."

"Possibly." Zelda folded her arms. "She is not going to win this one."

"I just can't screw it up if the archduke hits on me, right?"

Zelda looked at him with raised eyebrows, and she laughed a little. "He did say he had a niece or a granddaughter or something…"

"Maybe one of his old prostitutes or something."

"Yes, an orange-seller on the street…"

She put her arm around his again, and the air for them felt lighter. Link happened to glance outside a window and tugged at her, smiling. "Hey. It's finally snowing."

Zelda stopped and walked up to the window to look at it better, and Link followed. It hadn't been snowing for long; there was barely the first coat of it on the ground.

"I have to hurry and get those signatures or we'll be trapped with these people all winter," she muttered.

"Hrm."

Zelda glanced at Link out of the corner of her eye. "I had some thoughts…"

"Yeah?"

"Turn Kerzenacht into a charity auction and ball? Proceeds going to shelter and feed the homeless and the poorly-off?"

"That sounds pretty brilliant, really."

"But I'm stuck on what to auction. A lot of our valuables got destroyed."

"What were you thinking of?" He looked at her carefully, unclenching the fists he hadn't meant to make.

Zelda winced. "Well… um…"

He sighed. "Me."

"It was a stupid thought. I don't want to do that to you."

"What would I be doing? Dancing with them? How long?"

"Link, I don't want you to accept it. It's not even an offer. There must be something else that we can do."

"I'll do it. It's the easiest way, the most reliable, right?"

"Link, you are not to do it!"

He flinched and stepped back. "Now you are using it against me."

"Yes, I am. Because it's a bad idea, and it's demeaning. I refuse to use you like… like bait."

"I already am, for anyone who comes here. Might as well get something out of it."

"No!" She stamped her foot. "It is not happening, and don't you think of it again."

"Alright, alright. Calm down." He looked at her. "But you're not to do it either."

Zelda looked at him and she went red; apparently she'd been considering herself just then.

"Agreed?"

"Yes."

They stood for a minute, in silence.

"Should… we still go get tea?"

"It might be warmer in the kitchen right now."

As usual, they walked down and took their places. The kitchen girl already had hot water brewing, and she was surprised to see them together.

"Good morning," she said with a smile, though she was unsure when she saw their rather despondent faces.

"We'll need to get someone out on the grounds soon; it's starting to snow," Zelda told the girl as she poured out their tea. "Thank you."

"Yes, Your Majesty." She poured out a cup for Link. "Did you need anything to eat, sir?"

"No, I'm fine," he assured her. The kitchen girl nodded and went to put away the kettle and continue her chores. Link and Zelda sat there in silence.

"I'm out of ideas," she muttered.

Link nodded.

"I mean, we don't really have anything at the castle, and…" she stopped dead, thinking. Link waited while his tea cooled.

"Of course," she whispered. "Why didn't I think of it? Guests can bring their items they wish to be rid of, auction them off, and we'll take a cut. It might not bring in as much, but it'll do."

"They can auction off homemade things too, maybe?"

"Yes, that might be something. Jams, cheeses, wines and things if they have them, homemade quilts… and maybe charge a small fee to register the items to sell as well." She looked up at Link.

"Well it's better than auctioning off ourselves."

"Yes."

They sat and drank their tea in quiet. Link raised his hand and waved it until the kitchen girl noticed.

"Sorry, can I have a biscuit, please?"

\

Later, Zelda decided to have herself a proper breakfast. She and Link hadn't talked much that morning; he was exhausted and she told him to go back to bed. He glared a little, but he didn't kick up much of a fuss. She made sure the walks were being swept and told one of the older stablehands, Brind or something, to let her know when the supplies for the horses arrived.

She stopped when she saw Jalila sitting and eating breakfast with the other guests, but smiled and made herself continue down. Marion saw her and waved.

"Oh! Your Majesty!" and all stood but Jalila as Marion smiled up the stairs, "it's snowing!"

"Yes, I saw." She smiled.

"How deep does it get?"

"It depends; I think our record was eight feet?"

"Eight!"

The archduke laughed. "Bring it on! I do love a good storm!"

Zelda's smile was locked on her face as she sat down across from Jalila.

"What about you, Empress? What do you think?" she asked.

Jalila frowned a little, looking outside. "I'm afraid I might not wait for snow; I plan to depart today, before it gets too high."

"I quite understand. Should we work on signing this treaty, then?" She was trying not to, but Zelda was watching Jalila.

"I am having reservations about the treaty, myself," Jalila said suddenly. Zelda narrowed her eyes slightly.

"What about it?"

"How do I know that you will come running to my country's aid? What guarantee can I get from you? I want something concrete."

Zelda folded her hands. "Unfortunately, you must trust me and my country."

"I want proof that if my country is in danger, you will come to our aid. I want something of yours worth saving."

"You want a hostage, you mean," the archduke said in a low voice.

"What makes you think your country is in danger immediately?" Zelda asked. "You think Hyrule really has the resources to go to war right off the bat? With anyone?"

Jalila stared at Zelda, but said nothing.

Marion shook her head. "Your Eminence, don't be so fretful. If you and your country are as non-confrontational as you claim, then there will be no problems."

"What about you, Archduke Wilhelm?" she asked, looking to him. "After all, we share the most border."

"You have nothing to fear from Roldin, Your Eminence," he assured her.

"That is the point of this peace treaty. That is what guarantees that we come to each other's aid," Zelda said, looking around. "Any country that violates it risks the wrath of the other countries in it. Holding someone hostage violates any point of a peace treaty. Alright?"

Jalila lifted her chin, looking away. "Very well."

"You know, it was one of your people who attacked Hyrule. I should have a far more difficult time trusting you," Zelda said in a low tone, looking closely at Jalila. "I have invited you in, I have fed you, and I have more or less given you free reign. And yet, you sit here at my table, demanding a hostage from a broken country, because _you _don't trust _me_."

The room was quiet.

"Is that right?" Zelda asked.

"Yes." Jalila did not even look at her.

"Are you going to sign the treaty?"

"No."

"Then leave. And do not come crying to me if your country is attacked."

Jalila stood up abruptly, staring at Zelda, her mouth in a thin line of anger. Zelda remained seated, staring back. It was a shame, really; they probably could have gotten along, otherwise.

Jalila left the main hall and went to her rooms to have her things packed. Zelda took a deep breath and released it slowly, then went back to eating her breakfast.

"Well. With you I see no reason why the three of us shouldn't form a formidable alliance with our countries!" Archduke Wilhelm was, again, impressed by Zelda's pugnacity.

"I quite agree," said Princess Marion. "I would happily sign that treaty."

Zelda smiled. "I am glad to hear it. I was hoping I would not have to put on such a display twice more. Should I have the papers drawn up?"

"Yes, please do."

Zelda turned and waved over one of the scribes, who rushed to her side and waited eagerly.

"We need to coordinate a peace treaty with Cambri and Roldin, please."

"And Prin."

Zelda stopped and stared at Marion, having a hard time controlling herself.

"… and… Prin. Can you get one of the notaries?"

The scribe nodded and ran off to do as told, and Zelda took an extra sticky bun from the platter, taking a huge bite. "So, let's discuss the terms while we wait, and make sure we agree."

\

A few hours later, the final draft had been signed. Zelda added her signature with a flourish to the bottom, careful to keep her sleeve and hand from dragging in the ink. It had to be perfect. The notary signed it as a witness, and then scattered sand over the mess to soak up excess ink. Copies would be transcribed and handed to both Archduke Wilhelm and Princess Marion, then the original would be sealed and kept in a locked chest in the castle.

Zelda paced aimlessly through her home; she was trying to avoid Jalila as she packed and left. She sat in the library with a book in her lap, watching the snow fall, and then she moved to one of the viewing rooms to watch the snow fall far more properly, but simply sitting and waiting (because yes, she was waiting) was the most agonizing thing in the world, so she finally gave up and went to Link's room, knocking politely on the door.

It took several minutes until he answered; his hair stuck out at the back of his head and he stared at her pretty hard before comprehending.

"Oh, hey. Come in." He stepped back and she walked in, sitting down at the little table. "I think I've got some water or something, do you want anything? I was just um…" He scratched his head. "Yeah, sorry, I just woke up."

"It's fine. I should have let you sleep, but I wanted to let you know I got the peace treaty signed."

"Oh! Well, congratulations." He grinned and sat down. "Even without me?"

"Well, the Empress is leaving without signing it, actually. She refused without a safety net, so I told her not to sign and to leave."

"Geez, you gonna kick me out next if I don't meet you for breakfast?" Link muttered as he sat with her, handing over a glass of water.

"Hey! That's a perfectly valid…" she looked at him and smiled. "You're teasing me."

"Of course I am. I think this is the happiest you've been in a while, though. So I'm happy, too."

Zelda took a little sip of the water, sighing in contentment, for once.

"So then, what now?" Link asked, resting his head on his hand.

Zelda considered him, then nodded her head. "How's your arm?"

"Eh, it's healing up."

"Can I see?"

"It looks the same as it did, really."

She looked at him oddly, folding her arms. It dawned on him what she might try to do.

"Zelda, don't you d—

"Show me."

Link threw his hands up and started to struggle with his shirt, muttering under his breath. "Din's teeth… shouldn't've even told you…" Zelda got up and helped him, until Link was able to reveal the bandaging, which she quickly unknotted and pulled away.

"See?"

Zelda looked at the gash, carefully touching the skin around it. It looked pink and enflamed around the stitches, but the main cut was almost together, and the bandage was clean.

"Alright then, I'm satisfied," she said, wrapping it back up and tying the bandages neatly together. Link wriggled back into his shirt and grumbled at her.

"I promise to only use this power for good," she assured him.

"That's been… the kinda thing that's been bugging me. This compulsion to obey the crown."

Zelda furrowed her brow as she looked at him. "You wouldn't… want to, otherwise?"

"Well it's like it gives me no choice, though. It'd be different if you asked me and I could say no."

"Has there been anything you've wanted to say no to?"

"Well… I did kind of want to go home."

"You mean… when I initially asked you to stay?"

Link looked at her. "Um..."

"Oh." She folded her hands. "I wish you would've said something."

"It just seemed more important to help you."

"You should be honest with me, regardless."

He sighed. "Anyway, I guess it's better I stayed, or I'd be stuck on the ranch, still."

"Do you like it here?" She hadn't meant to ask, but that was the impression he gave her.

"Well, yeah. I like working with the horses and stuff. It's pretty nice to have such a huge bed, too. And I like helping the soldiers and I like talking with you in the morning."

"Even if it means getting up early all the time."

"Yeah, even if it's that. And who knows why that is; maybe it's from being on guard for so long. Now we just can't sleep during the day."

"Yes, but you were just managing it."

"I was that exhausted, I had no choice." He rubbed his eyes.

Zelda stood up. "I'm sorry. I should have let you sleep. I was just so excited about the treaty and I didn't want you to feel like it was your fault. She shouldn't have tried to prey on you."

Link nodded and stood as well, to walk her to the door. "Well I'm glad it all worked out. What's left for your schedule today?"

"I don't rightly know; I might read for a bit. Maybe I'll see about getting the sleigh out for some rides. I'll have to see Marion and Wilhelm off soon, as well."

She headed to the door and Link opened it for her.

"For now though, you can go back to sleep. Okay?"

"Alright." They looked at each other for a few minutes.

"Then… I'll talk to you later." Zelda smiled and walked out of his rooms.

Link shut the door after her, and he went to lay back down. He really had been tired, after all.

\

Zelda sat in her rooms for a while. She was working, as usual, on the country finances, and for some reason she was either doing her math wrong or numbers had different values than what she thought. She forced herself to stop and recalculate the same column, but it came out a different total than before. She then forced herself to set down her pen and really think about it, and because of this, she was in a prickly mood when a maid informed her Jalila was at the door.

"My door?" she asked in a cool tone.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zelda sighed. "What does she want?"

"She is leaving soon."

"So why is she at my door to discuss it?"

"I do not know, Your Majesty."

Jalila finally walked in, apparently impatient, and stopped at Zelda's desk.

"I wish to speak with you, Your Majesty," she said in a quiet voice.

Zelda looked at her critically. "Fine. What about?" She leaned back in her chair, and did not offer Jalila one.

Jalila considered her words carefully. "I wish to discuss what we spoke of this morning, before I go."

"I don't believe there is much to discuss."

"Maybe you don't, but I do."

Zelda frowned. "You've said your piece, I think."

"No, I haven't." Jalila pulled up a chair and sat down. She steepled her fingers together before her mouth, considering what to first say. Finally,

"I came here to Hyrule to bring peace between our countries. To bridge a gap that has only been widened because of the attacks by Ganondorf. I wanted to make us closer together because… " she cleared her throat. "Because Gerudo is doing almost as badly."

Zelda was still, watching her. "How is that?"

"Your wheat crop was decimated. Gerudo was one of the chief purchasers of that wheat. I know this as well as you do."

Zelda's chin dipped slightly in a nod.

"Without the wheat crop, we have been… my country has been struck with a significant famine. A desert isn't the easiest place to live as it is. Without what your country could provide for us…"

"So then, what is it you're looking for?" Zelda's tone had softened significantly.

"If I sign the peace treaty, it may need to be for more than just peace."

Zelda licked her lips and leaned forward. "Is this why you wanted Link hostage? You need financial help as well. You truly intended him as a ransom."

"I apologize. For my rashness, for my… crude display. As I tell you, we are not used to many men in Gerudo. They are like art to us. And most of the… 'art' we… 'recover' is base and crude. Link isn't polished, but his honesty, his gentle temper, is refreshing."

Zelda swallowed hard. "Jalila, if you had simply said something—

"We Gerudo have our pride. It's the one thing we always have in ample supply."

"We have no money to give. Nothing that I can guarantee."

"I know, I know. If … if they have not left yet, I want to sign the peace treaty. I want to negotiate some sort of aid with Roldin and Cambri."

"And Prin."

"… Prin? Are they still trying to offer you up that miserable rock? Ah—"

Zelda laughed a little, even though she hadn't meant to. "Yes. Marion is quite desperate to do something with her nephew."

Jalila smiled. "I'd be willing to take him off her hands… for a price."

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "What sort of price?"

"She can think of it as a wedding gift, if she must."

Zelda stood up. "Alright then. Maddi, could you go and see if the princess and the archduke are still here?"

Maddi bowed her head. "Yes, I'll go look."

"Thank you."

Zelda rubbed her eyes. "I hope you don't mind if I continue to do some work while we wait."

"No, not at all." Jalila sat, as peaceful as a deer, while Zelda tried again to calculate and came up wrong, again. And again.

She forced herself to stay calm. Jalila leaned forward slightly, looking at the numbers and Zelda's inaccurate sums.

"You're transposing them," Jalila said softly.

"What?"

"The numbers. You've stared at them too long, and they're starting to dance."

Zelda stared at her. Her ill feelings had started to mend themselves, but she was reluctant to open up so easily again.

Jalila shook her shoulders. "You'd be best to take a break for now."

"I can't. How do you deal with this? How do you constantly…"

Jalila shrugged. "I delegate, of course. I have help from the accountants and things. Why aren't you getting their help here?"

"I want to do everything myself at least once, to keep track. So that I know where every cent is going. I have to know."

Jalila nodded encouragingly. "Do you think you'll make it?"

Zelda hesitated.

"Your Majesty; the princess and archduke are still here."

"Ask them to meet us in here. And bring the peace treaty and any completed copies."

"Of course."

"And… some water, or something."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zelda went back to staring at Jalila over her desk, before shutting the accounting book.

"Now don't look at it for at least an hour. Go outside. Have some coffee. Something like that."

Zelda nodded. "Thank you."

It took a few more minutes, but the princess and the archduke came in, along with scribes holding their copies of the peace treaty. The archduke ignored Jalila, and Marion snorted when she saw her.

"There's been a change to the peace treaty," Zelda told them. "Some of the terms and the countries it will cover."

"Interesting; playing nice now, are we?" asked the archduke.

"Yes, I am," Jalila answered, looking at him directly.

"Very well, then." Marion pulled herself up a chair. Zelda had the distinct feeling that her room was getting too full. "Let's talk."

\

Link finally woke up as the sun was setting. He felt sick from sleeping so long, and confused about the time and the day. He got up though, and drank some water. He was disappointed to see that the snow had turned to rain; the fields would be muddy and the roads undriveable until morning. He wondered if Zelda had managed to shoo everyone out quickly enough.

He brushed his hair roughly out of his face and pulled on a clean shirt. Dinner would probably be ready soon, or so he believed. He left to go inspect the downstairs and see what he could find out.

By the time he got down there; his stomach was rolling with hunger. He could smell food, and he could hear talking. Again, he froze halfway down the stairs. He was starting to hate those steps. Everyone was still here; even Jalila? Obviously he'd missed much. He moved slowly down the stairs and nodded at Zelda, and trudged over to take his place.

"Hello, Link! My, we've been wondering where you are!" Marion smiled at him. Wilhelm patted his shoulder. Jalila did not make eye contact.

"Yeah, I was napping." He shrugged one shoulder.

"How was your rest?" Zelda asked quietly.

"It did what it needed to do."

"Hmm."

The food was soon to be served; either Link had remarkable timing, or Zelda had told the kitchens to hold off until he was down. Some of the dinner was pies, made with vegetables that were getting bad, and the tougher and smaller bits of meat trimmed from the meal from yesterday. Everyone was cut a generous slice.

"Ideally, the cold air tonight should freeze up the roads enough tomorrow, and you can head home in the morning," Zelda said suddenly, picking at her plate. Link took a bite; the crust was dry, and the gravy was thin. Some of the meat was just gristle. It was, to his hungry stomach, delicious.

Zelda stewed in her own thoughts as she ate, again letting her mind circle over the problems. Did the list ever shorten? There were people to select to send invitations for Kerzenacht, there was the general announcement for the auction and the costs involved and writing up the fliers, the supplies for the stables had been accounted for and put away but she would want Link to do an inventory later to double-check, and the scribes were rewriting the new peace treaty, the old one already burned in the fire.

Jalila had spoken quietly to Marion about Gerudo's troubles both financially and romantically, and Marion, who quite liked a poorly-written romance now and again, seized upon Jalila's question of whether or not her nephew might find it acceptable to live in Gerudo six months out of the year? Marion's nephew wasn't a very bright boy, and hadn't much matured though he was now near thirty, and she had hopes that Jalila's cool nature and a marriage would help to shape him up a bit. She was willing to pay dearly for this miracle.

"I do apologize for the change in plans, Your Majesty," she whispered to Zelda later, "but you're still so young. A older woman who is quite settled may help to mellow him. And I know how you and Master Link…"

Zelda had smiled politely and told her it was quite alright, and she didn't consider it a slight.

In gratitude to Zelda's reconsideration, Jalila agreed that, in times of unrest and war, the Gerudo militia was to help any of its allied countries, with an army of 15,000. A significant amount for any battle, though all much doubted it would be necessary.

And completely unbidden, Princess Marion and Archduke Wilhelm made a gift to Hyrule from their own countries, totaling to 8000 rupees. It would pay for most of the castle employees, stable supplies, food imports, and the staffing of shelters. Zelda immediately handed it off to the accountants to take care of some of the bills.

At the end of the day, she went to her rooms and sat down, not at her writing desk, but on her bed. She was going to accept Jalila's advice this time and not go back to the finance books for the day. Instead, she stretched out on the bed and looked up at the ceiling for a little while, trying to relax and clear her mind and not think about costs or hedging off any new problems or that she hardly saw Link at all today and how was his arm doing

She fell asleep.

\

Link's sleep schedule was thrown askew, so even as it grew late, he felt quite awake and ready for… whatever faced him. Which was nothing, actually; just silence. The castle was quiet as the maids finally went to bed, the fires but glowing coals. He grew anxious, though, and left his room to wander.

Sure, he'd been living in the castle and he knew its layout well enough, but he was a curious type, and he wanted to learn more about his new home. It was a weird thought; living in the castle. The room he intended for little more than a napping space was now 'his'. He knew the sounds of the floor and could find his way to the bathroom at night with his eyes barely open. It was a comfort.

He looked at tapestries, lit by the moon reflecting off the stone floors, and some of the ancient art pieces hung on the walls, or statues that stood as immobile guards. Most of the paintings were the Hylian landscape; most of the statues were representations of the goddesses. He stopped at one, said to be a representation of Nayru, and looked up at her carefully carved face. It was too high up for him to touch.

He moved on, past carved niches in the walls where swords rested in their scabbards, suspended on hooks, and glanced out now and again at the grounds. But there was nothing to see besides the moon shining on the muddy, frozen ground.

He stopped to observe a tapestry in the main hall, and noted curiously that there seemed to be a faint breeze coming around it. After some investigating, he found a small, hidden door, and after some more investigating, he managed to pop it open. Peering in, his eyes straining in the dark, he realized it was a tunnel. Something for the service, perhaps? Or for in war times? He felt around carefully, and found it rapidly led upward on little steps. Naturally, he followed them.

He found himself back upstairs, just down the hall from Zelda's room. He turned back and looked at the door, shutting it quietly. How many passages were there like this, he wondered. He also wondered if Zelda knew; she would have to, right? The safe room had a similar hidden entrance. Maybe he would ask her about it in the morning.

He ended up heading outside and to the stables. The other horses mostly ignored him; Epona sniffed at his hand sleepily and snorted in annoyance that he would wake her without a treat. Her mane was in far better condition and the stables were clean and full of a good smell; new leather and fresh straw. He looked over the supplies that had been brought in; it wasn't much for the horses they had, but it would last a bit. He wondered idly how much it would cost to get more supplies, and if there was anyone local who had a shop opened yet. He remembered his account, and decided he would check the amount the next day, when people were more likely to be awake.

He scratched Epona's chin for a bit, and she finally pulled her head away, wanting to get back to sleep.

Link left the stables and wandered the grounds aimlessly, looking over the newly-repaired walls and the ones that had yet to be started. The concrete would probably freeze too quickly in the cold to work with; they would have to go with some patchy areas throughout the winter. It wouldn't set right, otherwise.

When he got too cold wandering the deserted castle market, he headed back inside, towards his rooms. He thought he was finally feeling tired, and he was glad for it.

He climbed into bed after kicking off his boots at the door, and laid there for a few minutes with his eyes closed, letting his mind wander, returning to the hidden tunnels of the castle.

His eyes opened again and he sat up, looking directly across from his bed. It'd been there the whole time, but he just realized that there was a tapestry hung there. Out of curiosity, he climbed out and walked over to it, pulling at one edge. As he suspected, there was a doorway. He brushed his fingers lightly over the wood, wondering if he dare bother to head through. After a few minutes of deliberation, he did.

It was a pretty short tunnel and led in a straight path, Link judging it to be parallel to the main hall. He hadn't expected a door so quickly and almost smacked into it. He stopped, looking at the door and considering. If his calculations were correct…

Slowly, he opened the door and peeked around the tapestry. In one corner was a maid sleeping on a little pull-out bed, snoring softly. Directly ahead of him was the royal bed, where Zelda was curled on one side, and though she was burrowed in the covers, he could hear her teeth chattering, and he wasn't sure but he thought he heard a whimper.

He moved as silently as he could up to her bed and reached out, putting one hand atop hers. Zelda stirred a little and barely looked at him out of one eye, but he didn't know if she actually saw him.

"Go to sleep," he urged her.

She closed the eye again and snuggled back into the pillow with a soft sigh. Link squeezed her hand and moved away, slipping back through the door and back to his own rooms. Was she having a nightmare? How often did that happen? He told himself not to dwell on it, and climbed into his own bed at last.

\

Zelda woke up at the early hour and climbed out of bed, feeling relaxed and quite awake. It was an interesting change; she chalked it up to the strange twist in her dreams from the night before. She pulled on an extra robe with a heavy fur collar and tied it tightly, brushing her hair and looking her skin over. She had some small bumps on her cheeks from stress acne, but she'd been dabbing at them with lemon juice and vinegar and they were healing up. Otherwise, she decided it would do.

She glanced out the windows as she headed downstairs, noting that there was a thin layer of ice over everything. It definitely seemed cold enough to keep the ground navigable. She stopped when she heard footsteps and turned, one hand going up slightly, but it was only Link, looking right miserable and tired.

"Are you alright?" she asked him, waiting up.

"No," he said with a yawn. "Slept little."

She nodded in sympathy and walked alongside him. It seemed a little crude to her to go on bragging about her great night's rest, but he ended up asking about it.

"How about you?"

"I'm doing fine enough."

"Did you sleep alright?"

"Yes, I did. Well…" She smiled, her face turning rosy. "I had a dream. I mean, I usually have nightmares you know, or at least sad, bad dreams. Things like that. But… about halfway through the nightmare, um… you came and helped me."

"Oh. I'm glad to hear it."

She smiled.

"What was the nightmare about?"

Zelda shrugged. "Um." She shook her head. "He was coming. He was here in the castle and we were hiding, I was hiding—I was hiding alone in my rooms. And he was pounding on the door, but by the time the door finally broke open, it was you. You flung down the Master sword and assured me that he was gone, gone for good, and Hyrule was safe. We were safe." She took a breath as if she was going to say more, but she didn't.

"And?"

"Um… that's all I remember."

Link nodded. He wondered if she knew about the hidden tunnel, but he didn't want to bring it up. They linked arms walking towards the kitchens, and took their usual spots, the kitchen girl already having their cups set up and getting the sugar.

Zelda dropped Link's arm and took her place, and he sat down, his head on his hand. He shook his head when the girl asked if he needed a snack.

They drank their tea and talked little. Zelda was hanging onto her dreams and staring into her tea cup when she wasn't taking little sips.

"What do you think you'll do today?" she finally asked Link, who was taking his time.

"Eh, I dunno. Did the stuff come in for the horses?"

"Um… yes." She nodded.

"Okay then; maybe I'll get it organized and take inventory, stuff like that."

"There should be some paper left in the stables for you to use to make lists."

"That could be handy." He hesitated. "You said… I had some money, an account. Who would I talk to about that?"

"Um… any of the accountants here. What did you need to purchase?" She looked at him curiously; he'd better not be trying to buy off the supplies with his wages.

"Nothing, really, I just wanted to ask some questions about it."

Zelda looked at him strangely, but shrugged. It was really none of her business what he wanted to do, though she would be offended if he tried to use it to purchase supplies. It was his to spend as he wished.

They didn't take as long in the kitchen; both of them had many things they wanted to do. Zelda had to take in an old dress to be altered to look new (or at least different) and Link wanted to get a good head start on the stables.

He headed out quickly. The cold air chilled him and woke him up in a sharp, unpleasant way. He rubbed his eyes and crossed the grass, and it crunched under his feet loudly. Not even the stablehands were up yet, and the sun was barely starting to peek over the horizon. He opened the stable up to get some of the light from outside, and stepped inside. It seemed as normal as it had been a few hours previous, the horses snorting sleepily at him in recognition.

He went to Epona first and checked her nose; the sore spot was healing slowly but surely. Epona snorted at him and shook her mane when she discovered again, to her irritation, that he still did not have some sort of treat or snack. He checked the other horses; a few of them would need new shoes put on, and with a piece of chalk from the supply table, he marked their stalls with a horseshoe shape. Eventually, he fell into the work of counting supplies and estimating what was needed, and he forgot his own nightmares and found comfort in the familiar rhythm.

\

Zelda was also working on her tasks, and though she tried to hold onto it, she eventually forgot her dream. It'd been unexpected, that was for sure, and as they'd had breakfast she had tried to look at Link a little closer, to see if she could read him, but he was inscrutable, especially when he spoke so little.

She made sure the dignitaries' travel carriages were clean and modified for the road conditions, and trusted that Link would have the horses ready to carry them. Her skirts had been pinned up out of the mud, and she wore old brown castoff boots as she tromped around outside.

Little by little, the carriages were packed up, then one of them (Marion's, damn her) was unpacked to put on the more rugged wheel treads, to accommodate the weight of her luggage. After a few hours of working, Link was leading the horses out, careful to select only the ones from the unmarked stalls. He and the stablehands hooked them up to the carriages quickly, while Zelda stood by and watched to see her guests out.

The final horse was hooked up and Link nodded to the carriage driver, who tipped his hat in recognition to them.

"Link!" Marion shouted, leaning out of her carriage window like a girl saying goodbye to her best friend, "remember what I told you!" She winked and waved until the carriage hit a nasty bump, and then retreated inside. Archduke Wilhelm also waved, but remained safely inside, and Jalila threw up a hand in departure. The carriages followed each other until they were outside of the castle walls, then the drivers steered them off in the different directions, heading home.

Zelda turned to look at Link, hoping for an explanation, but he'd already gone trudging back to the stables to get the horses that needed fixing taken care of. He did mention she'd said some odd things; perhaps those were related to it. And anyway, she had more important things to worry about; the auction idea had been a maddening success, and not only were people replying with their RSVPs, but also they had questions about what was allowed to auction, where the items would be stored before auction, all the rules and minor things that Zelda had yet to work out. But at least the gift from Marion and Wilhelm had taken care of some of the other bills.

Zelda pulled her feet up from the muddy ground, softened by the weak sun, and tromped back inside.

\

Link had gotten the horses that needed it shoed, and had bandaged another horse's leg where a nasty fly bite had started to go bad, when he decided to take a break and see about his finances. The stablehands were busily cleaning the royal stables while Zelda's horse pranced about freely, making a mess of her coat.

He went into the castle, looking around. Despite having explored it in depth at night, he realized he still didn't have an idea of where to find the accountants. He went instead to a maid and tapped her shoulder, and she told him she was pretty sure it was down in the basement area, near the dungeons. He headed down the stairs and knew she was probably right; there seemed a higher number of guards in the area than he was used to seeing anywhere else in the castle.

It took a short amount of time to find the accountants; he could hear soft clicking noises and quiet talking, and found a small room with four guards posted at its entrance. Inside there sat a few people, men and women, counting rupees and tying them off in sacks of R100 amounts while keeping count in thick ledgers. There weren't very many sacks, and the candles had the particular stink of bad bacon fat to them, meaning they'd been made from drippings salvaged in the kitchen.

"Uh, excuse me," Link said quietly. Instead, all the accountants held up one hand to signal to him to hold on, and he waited silently, just inside the door. Finally, one of them finished counting up a column and wrote out a slip, tucking it inside the bag and setting it aside, before looking up at him.

"What can I do for you?" he asked calmly, folding his hands. "Master Link, right?"

"Um, yeah." The accountant invited him to sit down and Link did, putting his hands in his lap. "I was wondering if you could tell me how much I have saved up?"

"Yes, yes. Let's see. Hmm…" The accountant picked up a separate stack of books and looked through them until he found the correct volume, then began to flip through pages to find Link. "Alright… looks like here you are… and you currently have 2700 rupees at your disposal."

"Twenty… that sounds a little high," Link asked in surprise.

"No, you received payment at the beginning of the month… if you want, we can put some of the sum into high-interest savings for you, which will pay out about 5% of your total every financial quarter, and you can choose to have a portion of your wages each month automatically added to it as well. However, you wo—

"I don't care about all that," Link said quickly, trying to head off the accountant before he got too deep into the ins and outs of financial responsibility. "I want to deplete the account."

"You… what for? Are you leaving?" The accountant looked at him in worry. It would be a serious blow to their vault to send out so much cash.

"No, um… I want to deposit it into the castle accounts."

The accountant frowned a little, thinking. Link wondered if he'd misspoken, so he tried again. "Put it all… uhh… give it back to Hyrule, I guess."

"So… a donation? Those are tax-free and you can even get a break on future taxing for—

"No. Just… like a return. I guess? Give it back."

The accountant drummed his fingers on the desk. He wasn't stupid, of course, and what Link was saying made sense, but he'd never heard of anyone wanting to give their money _back_ to their employer.

"I mean, I guess think of it as a donation or whatever if you want, but I don't… I don't want to get any breaks or anything. Just erase it out of my column and put it in the queen's as a gift or something."

"V… very well." The accountant cleared his throat. "I'd be happy to do that for you. But you'll be without money for the month."

"I don't need it." Link shrugged. "I have a little bit left over from my previous job."

"Very well then. Anything else?"

"Um… don't tell the queen about it, okay?"

"Of course not, sir. All correspondences are private and confidential."

"Great."

Link hesitated, then stood and left. The accountant looked after him, then picked up a few other books to move the money over in their logs, as requested. "The boy's either an idiot or a saint," he muttered to his nearest colleague, who had overheard everything.


	6. Chapter 6

Zelda was heading to her rooms for a few minutes of rest when she was joined by one of her ladies-in-waiting, the Marquess Odelia Fitz.

"Good day, Marquess," Zelda greeted her easily. They weren't really friends; Zelda didn't consider her ladies-in-waiting much beyond maybe social bodyguards, but they got on well enough.

"Good day, Your Majesty," Odelia answered. She stood a full head taller than Zelda, and had reddish, long hair in contrast to Zelda's blonde. She wore a fine green dress of shantung satin, but it was showing wear at the seams and was looking a little frayed in the elbows, as it was an old favorite. Much of her family money had paid for the very food they ate. "How are things coming along?"

"Oh, you know. The dignitaries just left, so there's several dozen less mouths to worry about, letters about the auction are starting to come in; was your family considering anything to donate towards it?"

"I believe we have some beautiful heirloom china we can send in. It never gets used. I received it myself for a wedding gift."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly take anything so important to your family," Zelda assured her.

"Well, Your Majesty, if I may be forward…"

"Yes, of course."

"It was to be a wedding gift for Yourself, when the time comes."

"It's part of your family. I will not ask you to donate it to auction."

"I want to. We've lived in Hyrule for hundreds of years; I wouldn't abandon it now."

Zelda sighed. "I'm touched by your devotion, Odelia."

Odelia put a comforting hand on Zelda's shoulder and squeezed it. They walked in silence, slowly now. Zelda's feet hurt from the old boots.

"Again, if I may be so forward…"

"Just say it, Odelia."

"Have you given any thought to Hyrule's future? Besides the immediate future of survival. Marriage and… things."

"Hm." Zelda shook her head. "Not much, really. Ugh, Marion kept trying to foist off her nephew on Prin for me."

"She has a nephew on Prin? What did he do?"

"I have no clue."

"I suppose you don't want to know about my brother-in-law in Eastern Termina, then…"

Zelda looked at Odelia sharply, but when she realized it was just a joke, she snorted and shook her head. "If anyone approaches me with another once-in-a-lifetime marriage proposal, I'll run screaming into the woods and live with the lost children."

"But then, so what are you thinking of doing?"

"A wedding is too expensive right now, O. I couldn't possibly put the country through that sort of financial burden."

"Well, no one's saying anything about marrying right away. You should still be considering some prospects."

Zelda sighed and tucked her hair back behind one ear. "Well, I would, but I just don't feel ready to even think about it, to consider anyone, when I don't really have the time to sit down and really look at them and make the best possible choice for Hyrule's health."

"Of course." Odelia folded her hands together. They'd long passed the stairs to the upper hallway of rooms now, but Zelda didn't say anything about it. "Though, I will suggest…"

Zelda glanced at Odelia out of the corner of her eye. If this was another attempt at foisting off a troublesome relative…

"There's a nobleman in… Roldin, I think it is? He's a duke or something, but he has a great deal of wealth, and is recently widowed. And I promise I'm not related to him."

Zelda shook her head. "Thank you all the same, but I mean it when I say I want some time to think about it."

"Of course. I'm sorry I pushed it." She looked around. "Oh—oh, I guess we wandered a little far… I didn't mean to distract you."

"It's alright. I was just going to lie down for a bit."

"If you need help with anything, I'd be willing to delegate, or help coordinate plans, things like that."

Zelda smiled. "I appreciate the offer. If you don't mind though, I think I would like some rest."

"Of course." Odelia bowed and left the queen's side, and Zelda moved off to head upstairs.

She tried not to groan when one of the accountants came running up; she seemed to see them all the time now, which pained her. It was rarely good.

"Your Majesty, I do have an update on our total in the coffers if you'd like to know." The accountant looked strange, and it took her a few minutes to realize he looked… happy?

"Um, of course. Please tell me."

"With the current donations, the financial support, the roundup from the recession tax… I am pleased to tell you we are sitting at a higher amount than previously believed."

"Are we?" Zelda smiled in relief. "Where do we stand?"

"We are at, upon first tally, at roughly twenty-five thousand rupees."

"That's…" Zelda's smile was muddling into a grimace. When Ganondorf attacked they'd had well over six million. "It's a start."

"Of course, considering the donation made this afternoon, we are closer to twenty-eight." The accountant pursed his lips and looked away shiftily.

"What a kind offer," Zelda said breezily. Not much of a donation, but it would keep the castle fed for a few months. "Have you been able to work out the budget for the auction, yet?"

"We are still calculating that, but initial estimates are at seventeen thousand for the food, the pamphlets, bidding chips, storage and guards to protect the items—

"_Seventeen_?" she said sharply. "Leaving us with eight thousand rupees!"

"Well, closer to eleven, but—

"That is unacceptable! You have to find places to cut cost! Wherever you can!"

"Your Majesty, the approximate takings from the auctioned items can net us up to thirty thousand rupees…"

"We cannot rely on that! You have to find somewhere to cut money! Get it down to ten thousand, if possible."

"O… of course. I will go right away." He bowed and ran off. Zelda stood in the halls for a few minutes, feeling helpless and suffocated. She then made a beeline for her rooms, sending a maid to get her a glass and a bottle of scotch for her.

\

After a few hours, Link was back to his rooms. After settling his money, he'd gone and had lunch, then had headed back outside to see how the royal stables were doing. They weren't as clean as he liked and needed organizing, so he worked on that for most of the day personally, and when done he groomed Zelda's horse, taking his time on brushing out her mane, then braiding it to keep it from tangling again. It was nearing evening when he finished, and he went back to the castle to wash up before dinner.

He was barely in his room, having paused to ask a maid to bring up water, when there was the gentlest knocking, not stopping until he opened the door. Zelda smiled at him and he let her in.

"Uh, I'm not in the best shape right now; I just finished cleaning the stalls and stuff. You might want to come back later," he tried to stop her as she sat down at the little table.

"Ugh, I've just… this day has been miserable. It's going to cost seventeen thousand to get this damned auction going and we don't even know the profits from that for certain, and we only have twenty-five in the coffers so that's going to deplete us! I mean who ever heard of a country with only eight thousand rupees to its name?" She swept her hair back and sniffed.

"Zelda, are you crying?" Link stared at her in surprise.

"Of course I am! I'm freaking out! I can't handle it! Well, I can, I mean, I can try, but I just… it's just so much at once and I have no idea if each step I'm making is the right one, and I'll be known as the failed queen or something."

"Zelda, calm down," Link urged her, ignoring that he probably smelled like the bad end of a cow and taking her hands in his. "It's going to be alright. You're not giving up and you keep trying, and they'll remember that."

She sniffed again and nodded. "Thank you." Her breath was sharp with liquor, and Link realized why she was so… much more open than was normal. She knew he knew, and she blushed. "I… I didn't mean it, I just wanted to relax a bit so I had a glass, but then I started worrying and thinking about everything and I got a little overwhelmed so I had a little more and well uh now… I mean I didn't have much but I haven't eaten much today and… and…" she wrinkled her nose. "Nayru's teeth, Link."

"Uh, yeah. I'm getting some water heated up for a bath. I tried to stop you." He stood up and stepped back. "Maybe you should get something to eat, and I'll get washed up, and you can come back later when you feel better?"

Zelda chewed her lower lip, her eyes huge. "Yeah, that might… that might be best."

He helped her stand, putting an arm loosely around her waist. Zelda put her own arm around his shoulders, and they walked unevenly back to her rooms, which thankfully wasn't far. One of Zelda's maids received them, helping to take Zelda off Link's hold.

"Could you get her something to eat, please?"

"Yes, of course, sir." The maid bowed her head and took Zelda in to have her lay down.

Link returned, again, to his rooms, and found that the water was being hauled up, and it was snowing again. He lit the fire under the tub and helped pour in the water. It would be a while, but he didn't mind the wait. When the girl was gone to get more water, he stripped off his shirt and examined his arm; it looked almost healed at this point, a thin red line streaking over his bicep. The doctor would hopefully come the next day and take the stitches out for him.

He felt like it took forever, but soon the water was comfortably warm and he climbed in, sighing. Why wasn't he doing this more often? The heat soaked into his muscles and soothed them, and his aching feet were starting to feel alive. He dunked under and got his hair soaked too. He dunked a few times, until his skin felt pink and puffy from the heat, and then he started washing up. Even though he'd been ready to crawl into bed, the simple act of a good wash revitalized him, making him feel ready to take on anything.

The water was a cloudy grey when he finished, and he left, drying off and pulling on his night clothes. Zelda had yet to return or signal to him, and he assumed she'd fallen asleep, or had sobered and been too embarrassed to return. He was starting to climb into bed and think about Verla for a while (though it was getting harder and harder for him to… think about her), when he thought he heard gentle knocking. He sighed and rolled over onto his stomach for a bit, listening carefully. Yep, he was sure now—knocking.

Link felt he could get out of bed, but he pulled on a robe just in case, tying it tightly, and he opened the door. Sure enough, it was Zelda, looking rested and sober.

"Hello again. I hope you don't think I forgot about you," she said quietly with an apologetic smile.

"Nah, nah. Um… come in." He saw she'd brought a bottle and two glasses, and in her other hand was a plate of food, some kind of casserole, it seemed.

"Here, I figured you were hungry."

"Yeah, I uh.. didn't get a chance to eat yet. I wanted to wash up."

"You smell much better now."

Again, he stepped aside to let her in, and she set the dishes down on the table. Her hair looked freshly brushed and she'd also changed into her nightclothes, with a heavy embroidered robe over top.

"I'm glad of that," he said with a smirk. "I worried you were so offended by it, you wouldn't come back."

"It's going to take a lot more than a bad smell to scare me off," she assured him. She hesitated, then poured herself a small drink. "Do you want any?"

"Um, sure. Just a splash."

They each took their cups in hand, and Zelda hesitated when Link was about to drink.

"Um… a toast? If that's okay."

"Yeah, sure." He waited.

"Um… to Hyrule. And our future."

"Okay. To Hyrule."

Their glasses clinked softly and Link took a small sip. It was almost like water at first, then a smoky burn started at the back of his throat and built into a good heat all the way down to his stomach. It was like a hot bath from the inside.

"Don't think I've ever had somethin' like that," he said, raising his eyebrows.

"It's… very good. Twenty-year single malt Cambrisian scotch."

"Sounds a little rich for no occasion, isn't it?"

"You know, I'm surprised it was even there. We might as well drink it and enjoy it while we can." She stared morosely into the glass, then looked at him. "Eat, would you?"

"Yeah." The food was a little cold but, as was his habit, he was ravenous, and it was gone.

"Maybe I should've brought you a bigger bowl? You're looking a little thin."

"Nah, I'm fine."

"Well don't starve yourself for this country, alright?"

"Haven't I told you that before?"

Zelda smiled and finished off her drink. "It holds true for both of us, you know. I mean… we're still willing to lay our lives down for Hyrule—

"But we need a limit to it. We still need to keep up our energy, right? And Hyrule's doing okay…"

Zelda sighed deeply. "I can't believe that the auction is seriously going to cost so much."

"There's gotta be something they can cut."

"That is what I told him! We have to find a line and... there has to be something."

"You'll find it. It'll work out alright. It has to."

Zelda nodded and poured herself another small drink, hesitating over it.

"Then everyone has been demanding to know about my marriage prospects and who I'm looking at or thinking about, and quite frankly… we have barely recovered from Ganondorf's damage. I am still trying to secure emergency funds and build houses and send recovery and all anyone can think about is marriage! And it's insulting! I'm too busy and the country cannot afford it! I can't even afford new clothes!"

Link stared at her. "Geez, Zel. How bad is it?"

"Well, I've been choosing not to spend the money. Though of course I've had to get old items altered anyway so I feel like I might as well have bought new…"

"How… much do these dresses usually cost?"

"Oh, it depends. I think my most expensive dress was about five thousand rupees? But it had a lot of embroidery at the hem…"

"Five thousand? How often do you wear them?"

"Um, once or twice…"

"Once or…" he stared at her.

"Well… well in its original form, yes, but then the dress is usually altered or traded in for a new item…"

'It just seems like a waste… I mean you wear it once or twice?"

"Well…" she fiddled with her glass, "it's about appearances and wealth, usually. And the queen, or at least the princess, is demanded to carry the trends first."

"So then… what about now?" he asked, shrugging. "Obviously you're not buying clothes…"

"I feel that if I even tried to, there could be a revolt. Imagine how bad it would look if I was purchasing a new dress right now. By having my dresses altered instead, it will help reinforce the idea that I am doing all I can and making cutbacks where I can." She poured another drink and sighed. "Can we talk about something else? Anything. I'm sick of talking about money woes."

"Um… so I got the stables in good condition, I think. Some of the horses had to be reshod and stuff, and I organized the royal stables."

Zelda nodded, but he could tell she wasn't terribly interested, her mind still circling Hyrule's money problems.

"Your horse is a sweetheart, though. I brushed her mane out and stuff. She might need new shoes soon. What's her name?"

Zelda blinked hard and stared at Link for a minute, then she realized he'd asked her a question. "Oh… oh her name is Cerosa."

"That's a nice name. But yeah she was really good for me, I gave her a bit of apple as a treat. Epona might get jealous."

She smiled. "I doubt that. Epona's always your first lady."

"Pff, we're not married."

"But if you do, you can't say for certain that she won't get jealous."

"Come on, she's a horse. Don't be so weird."

"Yeah, but think of how upset she gets whenever anyone else tries to take her out. You inspire devotion in her. I think she'd do almost anything for you." Zelda was staring at her glass with an odd little smile, and Link was starting to wonder if they were still talking about Epona.

"Well," he started, "she's known me for a long time. And she's always been there for me."

Zelda nodded.

"And I'm hoping she'll be there for a much longer time, too. If she still wants me to be around."

Now Zelda was the one wondering if they were still talking about horses, but like Link, she kept quiet.

They both had another drink, and Zelda stood up. "I should probably let you sleep. I'm sure you're exhausted."

"It's not a problem."

He stood to walk her out, and Zelda chuckled.

"At this rate, we'll be spending the whole day together."

"I'd like that."

"Oh?"

They looked at each other.

"Yeah, you know, maybe like… something. Go for a ride out somewhere or something." It'd been a little bit too much of his soul bared, a little too much honesty than he wanted at the moment, and he was trying to backpedal. He glanced at the bottle on the table and cursed it as he put the cork in.

"Well, maybe that could be nice. Once this whole… auction thing is ironed out." Zelda's brow furrowed as she remembered, again, _seventeen thousand rupees_?

Link opened his room door and Zelda turned and embraced him.

"Thank you for the talk," she said in his ear, her mouth accidentally brushing it.

Link hugged her close around the waist. "Any time," he assured her.

They held onto each other for a long time, cheeks together and eyes closed. Zelda shifted her weight slightly, and Link understood, letting her go. They kissed briefly on the lips, and then Zelda started to exit.

Then she stopped and turned and looked at him with wide eyes. He'd realized what had happened and looked equally as shocked, but said nothing.

"Um… good night," she said quickly, and walked back to her rooms. Link stood as if frozen for several minutes, until the sound of her door shutting snapped him out of it, and then he closed his room door and locked it. At this rate, he probably wouldn't be thinking of Verla anymore.

\

Nan yawned and rubbed her eyes sleepily as she set the kettle over the fire to start it heating. She looked over their cups and finally picked two at random, a small white cup with a delicate gold and lavender design for Her Majesty, and a larger, green mug for uh… His… Sirness? She set the cups down at the table along with the sugar bowl and prepared the tea strainer.

The water had heated to a low boil and she'd gotten most of the prep set up to make bread when she realized it was too quiet in the kitchen, and she looked around. Strangely, Zelda and Link had not arrived yet. But they'd been like clockwork for weeks now.

She looked around in confusion, then tried to check the time by the moon's position just in case, and it was definitely later than she thought. The snow was falling heavier than it'd been, as well.

Nan hesitated, then she put the cups back, and took the kettle off the fire to pour herself her own drink. Maybe they would turn up a little later.

\

Zelda was laying awake in bed and staring at the ceiling, her arms folded. She was tired and thirsty, but mostly embarrassed. She couldn't dare leave and go down to the kitchen today. She traced her lower lip with one finger as she thought about it, as she thought about him, and she found herself smiling without meaning to.

She sat up and tucked in her knees, wrapping her arms around her legs. What was there to fear? He'd kissed back, really, or at least it seemed like he had, and they'd been friends for so long at this point that it would be okay even if it was awkward, even if they hadn't meant it. In fact, maybe she would talk to him before they even went downstairs, to see if they were on the same page, or to hash it out with him.

She climbed out of bed and dressed in a winter robe, putting her feet in her slippers and leaving to head down to his rooms. She bit her lower lip, and knocked lightly.

There was no response for several minutes, so she tried again. Nothing, still. She tested the handle and found it was locked, to her surprise. So maybe it hadn't meant a thing between them, maybe it was just an accident. She put her fingertips lightly to the door, as if she could push it open with her will alone despite the locks. No; she would leave him alone. It was for the best, wasn't it?

'Link? Are you there?" she asked quietly. Nothing, but she thought she heard the shifting of fabric, the moving of feet.

"Link? Would you open the door?" She held her breath. She was still uncertain if she heard anything from the other side.

"Link? Please?"

\

Link had gotten up at the usual time, put on a robe, and hesitated on his way to the door. He'd locked it to keep himself in (ignoring that there was definitely another way to get to Zelda's rooms) and it'd worked through the night, but then again he'd been half-sleeping, half-dreaming of some sort of melding of Verla and Zelda, long dark hair streaked with gold, one eye brown and one blue, and the rest of her a soft, warm weight against his body. He yawned and sat down, realizing that the bottle of scotch and the two glasses were still there.

He'd meant what he said, every word of it, but he hadn't wanted to… to scare her off, he supposed. He was still dealing with Verla's rejection, and the time he spent with Zelda was a help to him, because she did not try to romance him with longing glances and whispered words. But he'd been romanced anyway, simply by virtue of her being herself. Maybe that was why.

He looked up sharply when he heard a knocking, and he went to the door, hesitating. It was Zelda, he knew it. Who the hell else would be up at this hour? He put his fingertips lightly on the doorknob, biting his lower lip.

She knocked again, a little louder, and he stepped back. He watched the handle jiggle slightly, and then he heard her talking.

"Link? Are you there?"

She was practically leaning on the door; he bet if he opened it, she would fall right in, right in his arms. He didn't want to startle her though, and he kept the door closed.

"Would you open the door? Please?"

She obviously wasn't going away; what a shame that he liked stubborn girls! He stepped back from the door, thinking he could feel something, some sort of electricity building between him and Zelda, just on the other side. What was she planning?

"Open the door, Link."

It was like the ringing of a bell was inside of him, clanging with his heart, and he jerked compulsively, undoing the lock and opening the door. Damn it—

"That's not funny, Zelda," he snapped as she stepped in.

"I know it's not. But don't run away from me. You're the bearer of courage; don't be scared."

"I'm not running away, I'm not scared," he said sharply.

"Then why wouldn't you open the door until I commanded?"

"You tempt me, and I don't know if I'm ready."

"I'm sorry if you feel so pressured by me," she muttered. "Believe it is not my intention."

"It's not you, doing it out loud. This might sound ridiculous but it's like I feel like I'll still be betraying Verla, you know?"

"That's her name?"

"Yeah."

Zelda folded her arms. "But she left you, you know."

"I do know, that's why it's ridiculous to feel like this."

"When you went and saw her… did… were you two…"

Link thought he knew what she was hinting at, and he thought carefully. If he told the truth, would she hate him? If he lied, she might find out later, and it would blow up in his face. _Courage_, he told himself.

"It was the only thing I had for her, in the end," he said, telling her without saying it.

"Well." Zelda looked down at her feet. "I can understand why you're attached, then."

"You're not… mad."

"What right would I have to be mad? We're not dating. All we did was kiss."

It was a relief to say it out loud, and they smiled half-heartedly at each other.

"And you're… done with her."

"It's more like she's done with me, y'know? And I just…" he exhaled. "I don't wanna jump into something without looking ahead. I want to plan, or know that… that…"

"That it's real? I will reiterate, Link, that it was just a kiss. You're thinking too far ahead. And no matter what, I will be your friend. I promise. A kiss is no big deal."

"You're right, you're right. I'm sorry."

"It is alright. I can understand why you feel so strongly. But… but we don't have to make it into a big deal. We can be who we are, just like right now, and what happens, happens."

'Yeah." He grinned a little. "I uh… I wasn't locking you out, anyway."

"Oh?" Zelda raised an eyebrow. "You know Marion and Jalila are gone, right?"

"Yeah, I—no, it's… I guess I was locking myself in."

"Locking yourself in?" Now there was true puzzlement on her face.

"Uh… yeah. Should we go and get some tea?" He went to the door, but Zelda grabbed his arm and pulled him up short, dissatisfied.

"What do you mean, locking yourself in?"

"Oh, just, forget it. It's silly."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Oh don't you dare," he growled. "Don't you dare use it on me ag—

"Tell me."

Link threw up his hands in irritation. "I'm going to figure out how to beat this, I swear on Farore. I didn't want… to chase after you. And ask you what it was all about. Or to come after you or something, like a fool. That's all. And stop using that power on me! Okay?"

"I'll try," Zelda offered.

"You'll try?" He looked at her in surprise.

"W… I will. I will."

"Please do. It's really not fair."

"I know. I'm sorry." She hesitated, then hugged him. Link hesitated, but she was so damn warm, so he hugged her back, one hand in her hair. Zelda sighed. "This is a good place," she whispered.

"Yes," he answered, knowing what she meant. It wasn't the castle, it wasn't the room, it was being in the personal space of another person, someone who understood you as intimately as anyone could.

They separated without a kiss this time, and Zelda looked at him with a smile. "Come on then, let's get something to eat. I'm dreadfully thirsty, too."

"Of course."

He let her leave first, as was their custom, and then he left after her, shutting the door.

Nan was quite surprised when they showed up to the kitchens, and she wondered if she hadn't woke up too early after all. They sat in their spots and spoke little as they drank their tea; Zelda was making her mental list of tasks, and Link was enjoying their ritual.

It was done quickly, and then they bid each other a good day, and Zelda went to see where they'd gotten with the Kerzenacht auction budget, and Link decided to check on the horses and see what could be done there.

The mail in regards to the auction was piling higher every day. Zelda was overwhelmed just looking at it, and she had her ladies-in-waiting brought down to help her read through it and sort it into piles; items offered for auction, general questions about the event, and even, oddly enough, a few love letters meant for Link. Zelda put those aside in a pile, but she would be tempted to burn them later.

"What I'd like done, we'll take the letters with items for auction and make a list of everything and their proposed price from the offering family. Then we will write them an answer, asking them to bring the items to the castle for appraisal."

"We're going to need some historians on that, correct?" asked Odelia, as she cut open letters with her pen knife.

"Yes, good thinking. Jewelers as well…" She looked up when one of the accountants approached her, holding a book and looking grim. Zelda watched her warily.

"Your Majesty, I have information about the auction budget." She handed over the book and Zelda opened it, looking over the numbers. "The good news is that we were able to cut most of the expenses. The bad news is that, even with this much paring down, we'll still only be able to shave off about seven thousand rupees…"

Zelda looked over the columns in the ledger for the auction, and she turned her attention to the deposits column, curious about their loans and gifts and taxes that were coming in. She raised an eyebrow, silent, when she saw a donation just made the day before… twenty-seven hundred rupees? From…

She narrowed her eyes.

"Good enough. If you can find any other ways of paring it down, let me know. I trust your judgment." She smiled grimly at the accountant, who looked relieved. "Odelia, can you take over here?"

"Yes, of course, Your Grace."

"Thank you."

Zelda stood up and headed outside, her heels clicking on the floor. She was actually out in the courtyard and going to the stables when she stopped herself, reining in her anger. Hadn't she already decided it was Link's money to use as he pleased? So what if he donated the mess of it to Hyrule? This was one of the ways he wanted to help, after all. But what about what he deserved? Payment for everything he'd done. But he didn't _want_ anything.

She nodded to herself, looking around. The courtyard paths were swept clean, but the snow had been left on the banisters and the flowerpots, and more snow was coming down now, a little at a time. She pretended, then, that she'd simply wanted to see how the courtyard was looking, and she headed back inside.

"Alright then. Sorry for the interruption," she said to her ladies. "Let us continue."

\

Zelda went to her room that night with a plan, and feeling better for it. She always felt better when she thought things were in control. Supplies, from candles to food, were accepted as donations in lieu of the new tax being acted upon. That would cut the money they received and spent equally, she felt. She did not cut the same deal for her dress alterations; that was not an item that would ultimately benefit the country, in her eyes. Dinner was stew, mostly vegetables, and Zelda picked at it. Link, as was his habit, ate hungrily.

She looked around at the people eating with them. The castle was not housing at its same capacity, and as they had on that first dreadful night, most of the employees ate with them at the main table. There was a silence to the castle that reminded her of all they'd lost, and it did its best to dampen her mood. But she had ideas, and she had hopes and determination, and with Link's help they would be carried out.

She sat up in her room for a bit, giving everything one last look, one last moment in her mind before sleep, which had been more restful lately, but not as much as she'd hoped. And she found herself staring at the ledger, at the money they had, and the money they were about to spend, and her stomach turned over in discomfort. So much money… but if it worked…

She closed the book, and she went to bed.

And she dreamed.

\

She'd been running through the halls of the castle. It was black out, as black as night, with clouds loaded with a storm and ash. The volcanos had been boiling since he came back, as if the very earth had rejected him so fitfully.

She was in her room, but it wasn't really her room; it was more like the safe room with the tiny cots and the preserved foods. Everyone else was gone, dead under his hand, and she could hear him walking towards her, slow and steady.

"I'M HERE FOR YOU," he roared.

She pushed the doors shut and slapped her hands on the locks to seal them with her magic. Her dress was torn and wrecked, her shoes were gone. She looked frantically around her room for anything, any sort of weapon, but there was nothing, nothing. Not even a dagger.

Her heart was pounding, and oh Din help her, he was outside the door. She could feel his presence, like the heat from a fire, right behind the door. Zelda whimpered, very faintly. "No, no," she whispered to herself.

"Zelda," he hissed. The smell of burning fat and charred wood was on the air.

"No," she whispered, gasping for each breath.

"I'm heeeeeeeeere… for youuuuuuuuuu…"

There was the sound of metal dragging on the wood, and Zelda clutched at her chest, stepping back.

"And when I'm done… I'll haaaave… your boooy…"

"No, no," Zelda whispered, on the ground.

There was a thunderous slam, and the doors rattled in their frames. It'd begun.

"Stop it," Zelda gasped.

"LET. ME. IN." The doors rattled with each word, to punctuate them. This was how it always began.

"No!" Zelda screamed desperately, struggling to breathe.

"**LET. ME. IN.**"

Zelda crawled backwards, away from the door, sweating from the heat of his rage that filled the tiny room.

"**LET ME IN. LET ME IN. LETMEINLETMEINLETMEINLETMEIN—**

The doors were rattling constantly now, becoming looser and looser. Zelda huddled in the corner, looking around again for a weapon and again she found nothing. No doors, no windows to escape through. And the wood was starting to splinter from the hinges.

With a thunderous crack, the wood of one door cracked, and Ganondorf stopped for a few minutes. Zelda heard his slow chuckle, the one that made her skin run cold and her stomach cramp. She'd heard it every night.

Ganondorf resumed his hammering, shouting in ravenous glee with each strike. She caught a glimpse of one baleful orange eye through the widening crack, and she screamed compulsively. The doors shook again and again, the gap of light widening with each next swing.

The wood cracked completely and the door split, and it fell down to the floor with another loud boom. Zelda covered her face with her hands, because now he was going to grab her and haul her up by the throat, where he would drive the sword through her stomach and up.

"I'm here."

Zelda looked up—was it really him?

Link smiled at her and crouched down, holding out his hand to help her up. Zelda took it gratefully and stood.

"But… but…"

"He's gone. I got him." Link pointed to the slain body of Ganondorf, just outside of the doors, his throat slit.

"He's… he's really gone."

"Well, yeah." He smiled at her reassuringly, holding her hand still. The room brightened with the sun coming out behind the clouds, and they were sitting on the bed, her bed.

"Thank you," Zelda whispered, touching his face.

"Anything for you," he assured her.

They kissed deeply. His one hand was still in hers, and the other one was cupping her cheek. Zelda sighed and put her free hand in his hair, tangling her fingers in it.

"Link… I want you to…"

"Anything," he said again.

\

Link held Zelda's hand a little longer, watching her sleep. She sighed in contentment and licked her lips. It was the only thing he knew to do for her. When she shifted and rolled over, he slowly let go, and went back through the secret door. At least she would sleep well.

As for his nightmares, extreme exhaustion dulled them at the edges, faded them in his mind's eye and memory. The strongest image was Ganondorf, holding the Master Sword up and pinning Zelda's left hand to the floor as she screamed and tried to pull away, and Link couldn't see it but he knew he was dying, bleeding out on the floor from his arm and his throat. And then he would die and wake up. And the dream never changed, no matter what he tried to do differently.

He went and sat on his bed, thinking. He had to go to bed, he had to sleep. He was too worn out to not.

\

Time passed.

The days were filled with Zelda negotiating deals for the auction, trying to whittle down their expenses further, and interviewing those with goods to donate. She ended up also delegating to Odelia and the other ladies, having them plan and budget for a general crafts fair, that would take place the few days before the official auction.

Link spent most of his time cleaning, restocking the stables and brushing the horses and training the stablehands to improve themselves. When he caught one of them trying to steal some of the new equipment to sell off, he hauled him off to Zelda, who commanded him fired and jailed for theft on the spot, without even looking up from her ledger.

They still met in the mornings and chatted amicably about their days, but they didn't speak much of their nights, and they didn't seek each other out. Link continued to stay up to comfort her, not knowing what really happened in her head.

His cut healed, and the stitches were removed post-haste.

The main hall, where the craft fair, the auction, and the ball and dinners were to take place was thoroughly cleaned. Tapestries were shaken out and statues were dusted. Outside, the snow fell, settling in as thickly as four feet in some spots. If they looked out the windows early enough, Zelda and Link could spy on the maids having a snowball fight in the yard. For Zelda, it was a reassurance that everything could be okay.

"We should go join them," Link whispered to her one morning. A few of the younger soldiers had joined the fray, and they were laughing and shouting.

"No, come on now. It wouldn't be appropriate."

"Do you mean, it's too cold?"

"A little bit."

And his big mouth opened and out spilled, "I could keep you warm."

Zelda looked at him critically out of the corner of her eye. "Talk about inappropriate," she muttered.

"I just meant…"

"I know what you meant," she said accusingly, but she was grinning, teasing him.

Link noticed she did her hair more carefully in the mornings for their ritual. It started off just tied back, then she would braid it to one side and tie it with a ribbon, or she'd plait the whole thing and pin it around the crown of her head.

"I just want to look nice," she said one morning, when Link tried to ask her about it. "Is that so wrong?"

"But… for me?"

Zelda raised her eyebrows and folded her arms. "You're not the only man I see every day. I do have to think about a husband eventually."

Link winced, and Zelda realized too late the grievous error she'd made.

"Oh Link, I didn't mean that."

"I know," he said quietly.

"Please, don't be upset. I just…"

He shook his head and took a huge swallow, drinking the rest of his tea and thunking the cup down.

"Well. I should go and get checking the stables."

"Link, please." He stood and she did as well, putting her hand on his arm.

"I know you didn't mean it," he muttered. "I just… I need to go be alone for a bit."

"Of course. But… can we have dinner together later?"

"I'm sure we will."

"I mean just us?"

"I don't know, ask me again in an hour. I can't think about it right now." He waved it off, without their usual smile and well-wishing, and left.

Zelda lingered in the kitchen until she was sure she wouldn't see him in the hall and go running after, and then she finished her tea in a few quick gulps, and then it was off to work on last minute preparation, and they did eat dinner together, but they didn't talk much, as Zelda was too preoccupied with the last of the organizing, and Link was tired, and not feeling particularly talkative.

And then, sooner than she expected, it was the night before the craft fair. The town was bustling with people from all over Hyrule, a few from the outlying countries. The tax money was pouring in, and simply from people staying at the taverns and buying food in town, the castle vault slowly started to fill again from the taxes that were able to be paid, finally.

And Zelda felt she could relax, a little bit. Relax, but not sleep.

She was laying awake deep into the night, while her maid was snoring with exhaustion (it'd become a soothing sound, actually, that of another person, alive and in the same room). She was going over the plans, trying to think of last minute snags. Items had been appraised and deals had been struck, and they did manage to save another two grand or so on what they'd pared off. If they kept this up, she might be able to purchase a new dress for the harvest next summer, if it went well.

She was laying on her side and absentmindedly twirling a lock of hair when she heard a shuffling, and then a door open.

Her every sense went into high alert, and she froze in place, barely daring to breathe, listening, trying to see. Oh Nayru, they were coming through the secret door; how did Ganondorf know about that(well maybe the random tapestries everywhere were a dead giveaway...)? She listened to the soft footsteps approaching the bed. It seemed her assassin didn't want to wake her; of course not. Why risk a struggle? She reached slowly under her pillow with her other hand for the little dagger she kept there.

The assassin was right in front of her now, just standing. What was he waiting for? She tried to look asleep, her eyes barely open, and then she felt a hand touching hers, the fingers rough and gentle. What was he planning? What was he doing?

The fingers lightly intertwined with hers, and then the assassin crouched down, and Zelda realized, through her barely-open eyes, that it was Link. Relief flooded her, and then a giddy foolishness. That secret door came from his rooms, of course it was him! He wouldn't let an assassin through! Wait, when did he learn about the secret door?

He yawned and she felt him sit on the bed, holding her hand, lightly touching the knuckles. Why was he doing this? What was he here for, were her next thoughts. Then she thought back to that first night, when that night terror became something more… positive, and it clicked. Link knew she was having nightmares through some sort of intuition, and was coming in to sit with her. Her eyes teared up and she couldn't bear to sit there any longer, so she rolled over, looking up at him, and squeezed his hand gently.

"Link," she whispered, very softly. He ignored it. Wait, did this mean she talked in her sleep as well?

"Link," she said again, a little louder, and she tugged his hand. Now he glanced down, and when he saw her eyes open, he simply smiled.

"It's just a nightmare, Zel. Go back to sleep."

"I'm awake, Link," she hissed back.

His sleepy, dutiful smile faded. "Oh."

Zelda sat up and leaned in. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I was exploring the castle one night and found the hidden tunnels and realized it led here. You were having a nightmare so I tried to comfort you, and it worked, so I… come back… every night… wow. That sounds kinda pathetic and creepy out loud."

"You should be getting sleep. You work harder than I do."

"I have a hard time sleeping," he admitted. Zelda squeezed his hand lightly in understanding.

"You have nightmares too?"

"Yes, of course."

"Well, what if we traded nights? I come over and help you rest, you come over and help me rest."

"I can't ask that of you."

"But if you—

The maid on her trundle stirred and rolled over, mumbling about green cake for the dog festival. The two on the bed waited until they were certain she was asleep.

"Can we go to your room?" Zelda asked. "I don't want to wake anyone."

"Uhh… sure."

They slipped back through the corridor and into his room, shutting the door tightly. Zelda immediately sat down on his bed, and after some hesitation, Link joined her.

"You should have told me," she said, keeping to a low tone.

"Of course I should've," he agreed. "But how weird would it've been if I said 'oh, by the way, I've been using the secret tunnel to watch you sleep'?"

Zelda smiled. "Good point."

"So, you can't sleep?"

"No. I'm nervous about tomorrow."

Link nodded in agreement. "I'm sure it'll go fine."

"I think so too, but I cannot help worry about forgetting something, some minute detail."

"It'll be okay. You can handle anything that comes up."

She turned and looked at him with a smile, and put her hand on his.

"Thank you."

He leaned over and put an arm around her in a hug, and Zelda shuffled closer to him, until their hips were pressed together.

"You can sleep now," she urged him.

"Nah, I can't," he answered. "Got too used to being up all night."

Zelda swatted his arm lightly. "You should have just slept!"

"I couldn't," he replied.

"Well. Try now, then." Zelda clasped their hands together more firmly.

Link looked at her, then he finally hunkered down on the bed and closed his eyes. He fell asleep, and he did dream, but he was not going to be sharing them with Zelda. Not for a long time.


	7. Chapter 7

Zelda slept as well, for a little while, and when she woke up, it was because her neck ached from sleeping sitting up. She wasn't sure what time it was; she assumed it was the same time they usually woke up at. It was dark out, and she could hear the soft plopping of snowflakes against the window. She hoped it would not impede travelers too much, and that they would have a good turnout. Link stirred slightly at her arm, then yawned and rolled over, letting go of her hand. She looked at him and touched his hair, stroking it. This woke him up good, and he coughed and sat up, looking around and rubbing one eye.

"Oh, you're still here?"

"Yes." She folded her arms, but was smiling a little. "What do you mean, 'still'?"

"Well, I'd've usually left by now."

"Oh, you don't stay with me by my side all night?"

Link was feeling rather prickly. "No, of course not. I didn't want your maids to wake up and see me in your bed. It could be weird."

"Alright then, don't be upset. I was just teasing you a little." She leaned in and kissed his cheek, and Link finally smiled at her.

"What time is it, d'you think?"

"I assume it's about our usual wake up time."

"Mm." He climbed out of bed and shuffled around a bit. "You should probably get back to your room."

"Oh, my maids usually don't wake up until later. Not much later, but… "

"Well, yeah, but, uh…"

Zelda looked at him, perplexed. "What?"

"I kinda need to uh… take care of some stuff, and I can't with you here."

"Stuff?" She looked him up and down. She didn't want to know when he was having an urge!

"Yeah, um…" he pointed towards the bathroom.

"Oh—oooh. Okay. Yes. I apologize." She stood up and went to the secret door. "Then I'll see you down there?"

"Yeah, of course."

Zelda smiled and gave him a little wave as she slipped out of the room and back to her own. Link heaved a sigh of relief, and walked quickly into the bathroom, shutting the door tight.

He was a little late getting downstairs, but Zelda said nothing about it. She'd brushed her hair but left it down, and she was standing just outside of the door to the kitchens.

"Some bad news," she told him. "I don't think we'll be able to have our morning tea."

Link peeked in to see the kitchen was already hustling; bread was being made and food was being prepared, many by cooks he didn't recognize.

"Some of them are from the cafes and restaurants we have agreements with," she whispered to him. "They're making the food to be sold at the fair today."

"Well, what should we do then?"

"Can we walk through the hall? I want to oversee the preparations."

"Yeah, sure."

Link followed her through the castle. Now that he realized the racket that was going on, he was surprised they hadn't woken up sooner. There were hundreds of tables being set up, with place cards with symbols and numbers; readable across languages and the illiterate. Each table had been reserved weeks previous for the sellers; the place cards told them which tables were theirs for use. A few vendors were even already there, setting up their selling spot. Some laid out tablecloths, delicately embroidered by hand, passed down in families for centuries, before carefully setting out jars of homemade preserves, more embroidered and crocheted and knitted items, some delicate handcrafted jewelry, things like that.

For the most part, they were ignored, until a woman happened to glance up and recognize Link through the mythical descriptions. He was so much shorter than the stories said! And so much younger! She nudged her daughters and gestured excitedly to him, and they stared after him in amazement until he'd passed, then they giggled and whispered to each other. She was the first, but not the last; especially with him walking alongside Zelda. More and more vendors stopped in their prep and stared after them.

"It's looking pretty good, you know?" Link said to her encouragingly. "I think it's gonna go okay."

"Hm. Me too." She was smiling a lot more, these days. She had renewed hopefulness for her country. Link reached down and touched the palm of her hand with his fingertips, and she took his hand. They didn't know it, but this caused an even more furious spate of whispering.

"So what are we gonna do during this whole thing?"

"Well I figure… I don't know. I think I'll just relax. I want to stay close to the castle, of course, but I might try to catch up on some reading."

"Oh, you're not gonna be hitting your books all night?"

"No, certainly not. I mean, I will need to, eventually, but I…" she shuddered. "I don't even want to think about how much this has cost us. I don't even want to see it again until we're done and counting the earnings."

He nodded.

"Let us go outside. I want to see how busy it is."

They headed out the front, even though they were ill-prepared for the cold. There were carriages pulling up and being unpacked, and there was already a significant line of vendors with luggage full of their supplies for the day, looking exhausted and grim. Zelda looked at her people with some sadness and worry; she didn't want them to be coming to the castle, hoping for some great fame or to make their fortune here. This was for nothing of the sort; this was just as a way of supporting them through the winter.

"When are opening ceremonies?" Link asked suddenly, and Zelda went cold.

"Oh, Farore!" she swore. "I completely forgot! I told you I would forget something!"

"Zel, calm down. You gotta get dressed?"

"Yes, I have to see if my dress has arrived yet—

"If it hasn't, I'm sure you have another one that's suitable."

"And my hair needs to get done—

"You will be fine. Just put in some… I dunno, little pins or something?"

"And the makeup—

"It's like a ten minute ceremony…"

"Link!"

"What?"

She stared at him, and he looked back, utterly unfazed.

"Thank you." She smiled, and rushed off, back inside.

Link sighed, and followed after her, to get dressed as well. He was sure it would be expected of him, as the symbol to Hyrule's tenacity and the greatness of even its lowest people, or something. Zelda hadn't said anything to him directly, but she may have forgotten.

As he'd figured, there were a few maids in his rooms, shaking out a new outfit for him. It was reminiscent of his favorite tunic, but there was heavy embroidery work on the edges and hems, gold braid where there wasn't any, and the material looked silky and smooth, of a far higher quality than his usual outfits.

They looked up in surprise when he came in, and bowed to him. He sighed, his hands on his hips, and he could already smell the wood smoke heating his bath.

"She forgot to tell me about this. You ladies can go; I can handle myself."

They bowed out and left, obviously eager to get to one of their other thousands of tasks. He looked over the clothes; the pants also had delicate embroidery at the seams, a simple sort of zigzagging pattern, and the boots were soft deer skin, equally embroidered with the Triforce and a sword (the Master Sword, he supposed, though it didn't look right), as well as decorative swirls in a muted copper color. There was also fresh, clean undergarments, neatly folded at one edge of the bed.

He sighed and went to the bath, climbing in and washing up himself, shaving his face with a small hand mirror and a razor, and he washed his hair, hacking at the few curling, frizzled edges with his razor. He hoped it looked neat enough to please Her Majesty. If not, she would have to get over it.

He dried off and dressed, and left his room to go to Zelda's.

"There's no room here, sir! Her Majesty will meet you downstairs before the ceremony—

"Oh, let him in, Tilda," Zelda called out. She was at least dressed. Link didn't recognize the dress at all, and he wondered how many she had in her closets.

"Please, sit here," Tilda directed him to the little table where they drank and talked a few nights previous. He was served tea and a croissant, still warm from the ovens. To his delight, the croissant had been baked with bits of ham and sharp Roldin cheese, so that it was sort of a sandwich.

"Excuse me, but are there more of these?" he tried to whisper to the maid.

"Um, I can check…"

"No, don't go to the trouble."

Zelda's hair was being carefully parted and looped up atop of her head in place of the crown, which… was missing, and her makeup was being applied at the same time, so very lightly that Link wondered the point of it.

"We will be heading down at about 8:00 or so… opening ceremony is at 8:30, and—why do you look confused?"

"Well, uh, you… didn't tell me?"

"Wha—no. You're kidding. I've told you about this. We're doing opening ceremony together, you don't have to talk at all, and we'll also be overseeing the auction the last night."

"Yeah, you haven't told me anything."

Zelda stared at him in the mirror, wide eyed, and her face crumpled. "Oh Din, you're completely right, I'm so sorry."

"Well, you've been pretty frazzled."

"You're too polite about all this!"

"It's not a big deal. You've got more important stuff to worry about."

"Oh but still, I shouldn't have sprung this on you. If you want to back out, I understand."

"Well, you already bought me this whole outfit, so I can't let Hyrule's money go to waste. Which, by the way, woulda been nice to know. You can spend money on me but not you?"

"You're billed as a man with nothing to his name; it would be insulting if we didn't give you at least some clothes. Quit fighting it."

He closed his mouth and folded his arms, looking away. He stayed like that until Zelda was finished and standing up, fastening one earring herself.

"Are you ready?" she asked him. He looked at her incredulously. "Um… yes. Of course you are. Sorry. What time is it?"

"Nearly eight, Your Majesty."

"Thank you. Come on, then." And she reached out for Link, and they headed out together.

Link had calmed down over her usage of her mysterious power over him, and reluctantly he accepted that it was a part of him now. He couldn't let her know that, though. It could be a problem if she got angry at him for something. He took her arm in his and walked her back to the main hall, staring at the huge amount of people already filling the room. He hadn't seen it this full since Impa first interviewed him at his trials. They started to applaud when they saw the queen and her champion descending the stairs. Zelda smiled at them, but her grip on Link's arm tightened.

"It's okay," he whispered to her under his breath. "Just keep going."

"These people think they'll make enough to live on here. What if they don't?"

"It's going to work out. As long as they can make enough to live for the winter."

"Yes, but what if they don't?"

"Then we'll deal with that as we can."

"We?"

He didn't answer her, and they were at the bottom of the stairs anyway, and going to the podium. Zelda hesitated and smiled and waved as they continued to applaud, though more than a few people looked grim-faced, arms folded. Link watched them carefully, setting his jaw. He didn't like the look of them.

Zelda was talking, greeting everyone to the first annual Kerzenacht Craft Fair and Charity Auction. She spoke of how she understood the struggles of the people, and the losses that many had faced, in their purses and their families.

"…Do not think of me as a queen while you are here," she urged them. "Think of me as a fellow survivor of the tragedies that have befallen us. One who is willing to do almost anything she can to help you recover, to get Hyrule back to the glory it once held. Together, we can recover. Together, we can survive, and defeat the struggles we face. Thank you, and happy purchasing." She bowed her head, to show she was done, and the crowd applauded. Overhead, the bells were ringing; the craft fair had begun.

"Was that him?"

"The legendary hero?"

"A lot shorter than I thought!"

"So young, too."

"Are we sure it was him?"

"No clue."

"So handsome!"

"Are you serious?"

"…What!"

True to her word, Zelda immediately left again, heading down the hall away from the fair and slipping behind a tapestry. Link followed her into the secret door, and upstairs to her room.

"You gonna go read your books?"

"Yes. Get out of this dress."

He looked it over, and frowned. "You're… you're only gonna wear that once, huh."

"Well, in this form, yes."

"It's kind of a shame, don'tcha think?"

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Link, you don't understand."

"I guess I don't. It just seems a shame. And I wore these clothes for like… what, ten minutes? And they look really nice."

"You like them?"

"Yeah, of course I do. They're really nice."

Zelda sighed. "Well. Let me put on a coat or something. Maybe we can go out for a walk. See the town." She smiled. "I bet it's full of people right now. Yes. Would you like to do that?"

"Yeah, I would." He found he was excited to see the town bustling again. It was too quiet, even during the day. "Let me get a coat, too."

They parted to their rooms, and met again in front of them a few minutes later. Zelda had smoothed her hair a little and reapplied her lip stain, and Link had pulled on a coat and… something else. He hesitated before the mirror, looking at himself, but thinking about those few scowling men. He grabbed his dagger and its sheathe, strapping it around his waist under his coat and making sure he could grab it quickly… just in case.

"Everything alright?" she asked him with a smile when he reappeared.

"Yeah. Everything's fine." They linked arms and Zelda led them to one of the other secret passages.

"This one will take us out a side door, and then we can follow the gates around to the market," she explained.

"Okay."

They crept slowly downstairs, unhooking their arms and keeping a free hand on the cold walls of the passageway. Sure enough, there was a door at the end, and when Link forced it open against the piled snow, they found they were outside. The door had been carefully painted and cut to match the walls around it, and was nearly invisible to those who didn't know it was there. It was marked by one wall sconce, placed identically to its brothers on the wall, but marked on the wall bracer with a scratch mark.

Link shut it tight behind them and they waded through the snow. Zelda was glad she'd put on her tall boots under her dress. They were comfortable, warm, and waterproofed. Their empty hands were tucked into the pockets of their coats. Link could feel his dagger bumping his hip as they walked. He prayed he wouldn't need it.

They rounded the castle and Zelda sped up significantly towards the gates.

"Calm down," Link hissed, tugging on her arm. "It's alright."

"I know, I'm sorry. I just want to see."

"We will, we will."

They were moving faster on the cleared paths, the guards bowing to her as she passed them.

"Oh Goddesses," Zelda gasped, squeezing his arm. "Look!"

The marketplace was full. They could see it even before they headed down the steps outside of the main gate. Zelda giggled, though she hadn't meant to, and she looked at Link in excitement. He was grinning.

They walked slowly through the market, because they had to, and Zelda wanted to look at everything. Snow had been cleared from the doorways and tables were set out with wares, and the sellers were calling out, jokingly fighting with each other as was their custom. It was as if Ganondorf's attack had not happened, and the town had not faced the horrors of their families murdered or lost.

And everywhere, sellers were greeting Zelda and Link warmly, trying to sell her trinkets and things. Wisely, she had not brought any money, but Link had a little bit in his pocket. He ended up purchasing a necklace she had lingered over, moving quickly while her back was turned, and then later, when she said the seared pork skewers smelled good and she hadn't had breakfast because she was so nervous, he bought them each a couple of the skewers, which came with fresh, chewy flatbread to make little sandwiches out of them, if desired. The food was hot and delicious in their hands, and the skewers were crispy with a honey glaze that had baked onto the flesh.

They walked the whole length of it and back again, Link picking his teeth with one of the skewers, and when he dropped one, he didn't even have time to pick it up before it was gone, snatched up by the people around them. There were… a lot of people around them. He hung on to Zelda, watching them carefully and trying to offer smiles and nods of encouragement. They pawed at his clothes, touching the fur collar, whispering after him to each other, trying to hold onto some piece of him.

Zelda had noticed, and the hair on the back of her neck was standing up.

"Get us inside," she whispered to him.

"I am," he assured her, pulling her slowly in front of him, to require the smallest path necessary.

"Master Link, please, please, bless my child," a woman cried out, holding out a sickly baby. The baby was screaming in the cold, ill-dressed for it, and looked underfed.

"What?" he answered, staring.

"Please! She's been so sick and we can't afford a doctor!" Link had slowed to a stop to talk to the woman, and the crowd pushed them in, hemming them in place.

"Look—I can't—

"We have medical help available for anyone who cannot afford to pay. The castle will help you with the charges from any doctor." Zelda said sharply, cutting in. She thought, then removed one of her earrings and held it out. The woman snatched it up in one thin hand. "Use that to pay for anything he prescribes. Anything it doesn't cover, send the bills to the castle."

"Oh! Oh, bless you, Your Grace! I will pray for you!"

"Yes, thank you. Take care of your child. She's freezing."

The crowd had gone quiet at this show, and now they were pawing at Zelda as well, pleading and begging.

"Your Majesty, my father is died and we've nothing to live on—

"Your Grace, please, we haven't aten in an age!"

"Please, Master Link, please. You can have our second eldest daughter if you'll only take care of her monstrous husband!"

"Link is not an assassin!" Zelda snapped at this last one. "Deal with him through the courts! Get her away from him immediately!"

The old man stared at Zelda in surprise at her outburst. "Yes, Your Majesty." He bowed and stepped back.

Link looked around for the guards; thankfully there were many, but a lot of them were young and so excited to be working for the castle that they were not paying much attention, instead joking around or flirting with jewelry sellers.

"Hey!" he shouted, snapping at the guards. Finally, one looked towards the noise, and realizing that there was a problem, he immediately snapped down his helmet's faceplate and came tromping over.

"Alright, alright! Make way for Her Majesty and His Lordship!" A few other guards came over and flanked Link and Zelda, leading them slowly through the crush of people, people still trying to touch them, still trying to get their attention, their help, anything they could. Link's every sense was on high alert, and he now knew that they were idiots to go freely dancing about through the crowd of impoverished people, in new clothes and richly made up. Zelda's clothes were dirty and ragged at the bottom, but none worse for wear, and Link's clothes had been smudged with dirt and grease from their hands.

They made it inside, and though she'd held up okay, Zelda was obviously shaken.

"Are you alright?" Link asked her quietly, when they made it to one of the peaceful viewing rooms, set up for guests to rest their eyes and wallets (and also with plenty of guards).

"Those poor people. I feel so foolish; they think we're on the level of the goddesses."

"That's their problem."

"I just… I want to help everyone, but I can't. I can't save them all."

Link took her hands. "I can't either."

Zelda cleared her throat, touching at her eyes carefully, though she wasn't yet crying. "I'm so sick of this. It seems like everything is doing great, and then something happens and it just brings it all back up to the surface."

"It might be like this for a while. No country recovers in a short time from that kinda devastation."

"They were just… they were _haunted_. And that child, Nayru's teeth…"

"I know. But… you've put so much out there, so much information, so much stuff telling them how to get help with everything. For all we know, that woman's baby was fine."

Zelda fingered her other earring and took it out, looking at it. "I guess I can get rid of this, then."

Link took it and looked at it carefully. "Are these real diamantes?"

"What do you think?" she asked sadly.

"Hm. Have 'em made into a bracelet or something. Or set into a nice ring. For like… when you get married."

Zelda nodded. "You're just so calm," she muttered. "I envy you."

He laughed a little. "I'm just doing what I can to be helpful."

She looked at him very closely, her eyes narrowed, but there were several other people in the room watching the snow fall and laughing, sharing stories and jokes. It wasn't the place for it.

"Well. I think I will go upstairs and retire with my book," she said finally. "What about you?"

"Hm. Maybe I will, too."

"Oh, should we stop at the library and you can pick some out?"

"Y'know what, you go on up. Go enjoy your book. I'll find one myself."

"Alright then." Zelda stood, and he stood as well, kissing her hand. "I will probably be taking dinner in my room; we do not want to break down the fair tables. Will you join me?"

"Sure."

She smiled at him, and they walked out of the viewing room together, moving apart at the door. Link went to the library, and Zelda headed upstairs, to read and try to put the image of those destitute people out of her mind.

\

They ate together in Link's room instead. It was quieter, and he had less stuff piled up, important papers and correspondences and makeup and hairpins and the like. The kitchen had been relying significantly on cured meats and root vegetables, as most of the game was down for the winter, and hard to find. There was a little bit of wine with their meal as well, a small bottle of something or other from Termina. It was a little too vinegary, and they barely had a glass each.

Zelda was still thinking about the desperate, grasping hands from the hordes in the marketplace, and so she sat very quietly. Link was also quiet, because that was his nature in most situations, and his mouth was usually full of food. When they finished, she stayed on longer, staring out one of the windows at the moon.

Link looked at her, and saw the frown on her face and the little line between her brows.

"What's wrong?" he asked her suddenly.

Zelda blinked hard and looked at him; she'd forgotten there was another person in the room. "Oh. Nothing. Well…"

He waited. She sighed and raised her hands to gesture, as if that would help her to get her point across.

"It's the people in the marketplace from today."

Link nodded; he knew exactly why she was bothered.

"I've been convincing myself that Hyrule isn't doing so bad, that we have plans and they are being utilized, that the people are recovering. Now, I'm not so sure how true any of that is."

"Well, you've been doing everything you can, and putting the information out there. It's their choice if they take it or not."

"Is it?"

"Well… isn't it?"

Zelda sighed. "What if they're not getting the information or the resources? What if they're slipping through the cracks? What if it's not enough?"

Link was silent for a few moments. "Well… since they're here, you could try to receive them and ask them if they have everything?"

Zelda wrinkled her nose. "That could never work; there's no room for them and we'd have thieves and liars lining up to take advantage."

"Then all you can do is to keep it out there for them, invite them to use it… if they don't, there's nothing you can do."

"But I want to save everyone!" She thumped her fist on the table.

"But you _can't_," Link replied.

"You were able to," she retorted.

"Barely."

"Yes, but you still—

"Look, all you can do is what you've been doing. You can't personally go out and give tours to everyone and till their fields for them."

There was a strange light in her eyes, and Link looked at her suspiciously.

"That's… the soldiers, as their training… many of them used to work in farms. I could send them out to help till the fields for families that might not have the hands available."

"Uh… I guess, but—

"The soldiers would work for free, and the families would be able to plant food to survive!"

"Well, instead… what if families helped each other out? I'm sure a lot of your soldiers will have their own families to help. If you maybe had people helping each other out instead, and sharing the crops in exchange? It'll still be you helping because you'll be setting down the rule, but they'll be helping each other and not demanding a handout from the castle all the time. You've got your own stuff to worry about here. The walls need to be finished and stuff, we still got food to bring in…"

Zelda looked at Link critically. "Where'd you think of that?"

"Just… y'know. Most farmers value self-sufficiency. It's an insult to their pride to have to rely on the castle, and most people who mooch off it probably weren't really into farming anyway."

Zelda smiled at him. "Maybe I should promote you to chief advisor."

"Well aren't I just a guest or something anyway? Wait, if I'm a guest, why'm I getting paid?"

"Like I told you ages ago, you're a volunteer knight."

"So then how can you promote me if I'm volunteering? And still, don't volunteers do their stuff for free?"

"Not always…"

"Now I think you're just looking for an excuse to give me money."

Zelda sighed in annoyance. "What do you care? You can save up and purchase a house or something some day."

"I'd rather earn the money."

"You did save the country, I'd say you earned it plenty."

"And I tell you, anyone else woulda done the same. I had to do it, pay or no. I was bound to do it."

"I know… but, perhaps, if you want, if I make you chief advisor… you would be earning your pay, then."

He glared at her. He seemed to do that often. "Don't give me a job just to make me feel better about mooching."

"You're not mooching! And you really are an excellent advisor! I think that you have been incredibly helpful."

He shrugged. "Eh, I dunno."

"Are you willing to think about it?"

"Would it cause a problem?"

Zelda leaned back. "How would it cause a problem?"

"Well… bias… or something. Don't you have other people who might be more deserving?"

"No one that I trust as deeply." She looked him in the face, and blushed, leaving the rest of her thought unsaid. "Anyway."

"What 'anyway'?" Link nudged her shoulder.

"Nothing."

"No, tell me." He pushed her around, a little bit harder. "Come on."

"No, it's nothing, really. Please stop?"

"I want to know what you were thinking!" He leaned towards her.

"I'm not going to tell you, so forget it!" Zelda leaned back, away from him.

"I'm supposed to be your advisor, right? I should know what you're thinking."

"You don't want to be my advisor, remember?"

"Tell me," he said, commanding her as she'd been commanding him.

Zelda folded her arms. "No."

Link cursed and stood up, then realized it was his room. "Should I show you out?"

"Do you want to be my advisor?"

"I don't know. No? I don't know if I would be good at it."

"Well I think you would be, but… you don't have to. And I promise I won't try to force you to do it. I want you to do it because you want to."

"Well, I appreciate that." His tone was sarcastic.

"Come on," Zelda murmured in a low voice. "Don't be so prickly, please?"

"Why me?"

"I told you already. I trust you, and you've been incredibly helpful to me, and… maybe if I can keep thinking of problems, I can keep you around."

"Come on. You don't gotta do that. Where am I gonna go? I don't have any money."

Zelda raised her brows, and feigned innocence. "But… you're getting paid…"

"Yeah… well…"

"Don't you have about… two grand or something?"

"Um… right… uh, about that…"

Zelda waited patiently, her eyebrows still up.

"I… donated it all? To… the castle?"

"You did? But that was… that was your pay." She was smiling again, even though she knew all of this already.

"I wanted to help. And I have some savings from the ranch, so…"

She leaned forward and kissed him, putting her hands on his shoulders. Link let it happen at first, and then he backed away a little bit.

"Whoa—what… whaaat are you doing?"

Zelda coughed a little, to hide an embarrassed laugh, and looked away. "Well. What can I say?"

"Kinda inappropriate if you want me to be your advisor, isn't it?"

"I suppose."

She stepped back from him, touching the door handle. Link cursed himself in silence, and put his hand over hers.

"Maybe I can't be your advisor," he muttered. "Because of this."

"We don't have to tell anyone," she said in a lower voice.

"I think they'll figure it out," Link suggested. "Marion knew there was something going on."

"But… there wasn't, then. Was there?"

"I didn't think so…?"

She moved in and let go of the door handle. Link pulled her in by the shoulders and kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. They kept going, kissing longer and longer, wrapping their arms around each other and clinging desperately. They stumbled about awkwardly, and Zelda stepped on Link's foot with her heel a time or two, and he finally pulled away.

"Do you want to… sit down or something?" Link offered her. They looked around, but the only space with room to be so close while off their feet was…

"Um… no. Actually, maybe I should be going… there were some things I wanted to look over."

"Oh, did you want some help?" He asked it without thinking, and Zelda laughed, a rare sound.

"I think if I spend any more time with you…" She shook her head. "I should go cool down."

"Okay. I gotcha." He grinned a little, and scratched his nose. "I'll uh… see you tomorrow?"

"Um, of course. I think I'm going to stay in the quieter places of the castle. The library and such. What will you do?"

"I have Brind and them monitoring the stables and keeping it clean, so… I dunno. I guess I don't really have anything to do." He shrugged.

"You can maybe search the craft fair. Stay… inside. Safe."

"You too," he urged her.

The haunted look returned to her eyes, and just to see a different expression, Link kissed her again.

"Oh, you bastard," she muttered. They started kissing again, slower this time, standing near the doorway still. They were getting a little too into it and Zelda was starting to pull on his shirt and head towards the bed when Link thought he heard a sound; a step on stone just outside the door. It could've been nothing, just a shifting, but it made the hair on the back of his neck prickle and he stopped.

She pulled at him, a little rougher, and Link stopped her with one hand.

"Don't," he whispered, and put a finger to his lips. Zelda saw the seriousness in his eyes, and she sobered up, going silent and trying to hear what he heard.

Link moved with a low sidestep to edge closer to the door and listen more carefully. He heard another step, and a quiet mutter. "Is this her room?"

His skin went cold and he put an arm in front of Zelda, pushing her back.

"No, no." The soft shuffling of cloth boots on stone as they moved past.

Zelda said nothing, but she tapped Link's shoulder and pointed to the tapestry near his bed. He nodded once and turned, grabbing his dagger from his dresser and moving like a ghost to the secret door. It opened and closed again in a blink. Zelda went to sit on his bed, holding her breath.

\

Link took long steps through the hallway and was soon in Zelda's bedroom. Her maid was there, reading and drinking some tea, and she gasped in shock and dropped the cup when Link came in. It shattered, and Link tensed, turning to the door.

"Master Link! You can't be in here! H—

He held up one hand to silence her and went quickly to the front door, putting one hand on it and leaning in, listening.

"Is she there?"

"I don't know. I don't see guards…"

"She must not…"

"Let's come back later…"

Link narrowed his eyes and thought. They were right outside the door now, but if he headed them off…

He ran on the balls of his feet, as lightly as he could manage, through the secret door and back into his rooms. Zelda jumped and watched him with worried eyes as he ran to the main door, counting down on his fingers and listening.

A step on stone, returning from the direction of her rooms. He shoved the door open with a strike from his shoulder. As he'd hoped, it caught one of the men by surprise, hitting him in the face. The other one looked around in bewilderment, and Link lunged at him, grabbing him and punching him in the face, once, twice. He dropped the man while he was still bewildered and turned around. The other was recovering from the door, and Link grabbed him now, butting their heads together with a thunderous crack. He flung him to the ground and turned again; the second man was coming after him with a clumsy fist and a growl of anger.

Link hesitated; he'd wanted to pull out his dagger, but these were people, not monsters. Sure, they might've been plotting to assassinate Zelda, but he also might be jumping ahead in his thinking.

Because of his hesitation, the second man was able to grab him, and they thrashed and wrestled against each other. The man was trying to force Link at arm's length, to keep him from being able to headbutt, so instead Link lifted one leg and kicked at the man's ankle a couple of times. When that didn't work, he regained his balance, and started trying to swing the man around before bringing up his foot again and hooking into the back of the man's knee.

This was most effective and the man was forced to fall down, and Link struck him in the face again, though by now the man's face was quite swollen and bleeding. He let go and stepped back, and the man just sort of wobbled on his knees, his nose bubbling with blood at each breath and faintly moaning.

Link turned around and the first man was clutching his head, where an ugly bruise was swelling up under the skin. Zelda was at the doorway of his room and looked between the two men, then up at him, a little fearful. Link could also feel a bruise forming on his head, and he looked away, clearing his throat. He saw her maid standing at the doorway of Zelda's room, crying a little in shock.

"Pa?" she whimpered.

The blood drained from Link's face.

\

The maid was given the rest of the week off with pay, and her father and brother, who wanted to give her a surprise visit while they were in the area for the craft fair, were taken care of at the royal doctor's business, on Zelda's rupee.

After they were hauled off, the maid following along behind and dabbing her eyes with one of Zelda's lace kerchiefs, Zelda sat down with Link in his room, where he was rubbing his bruised knuckles and staring at the table.

"They are going to be alright," she said curtly. "The son's nose is broken, but it can be set, and mostly they are just bruised and battered. These wounds will heal. What will be harder to heal is Hyrule's opinion."

Link hesitated, thinking of what he wanted to say. "I thought that they were trying to kill you."

"I know. I know that you would never do such a thing without a good reason. What exactly did you hear?"

"I heard them talking; they were whispering to each other, wondering where you—or I guess, where the maid—was. They didn't see guards so… they couldn't tell what room was yours where she would be, but I figured they didn't wanna get caught trying to kill you by going in the wrong room." He bit his lower lip, toying with a bit of scraped-up skin on his hand. "If they'd said something to someone, this might not've happened."

Zelda rubbed her eyes. She was sure that half the castle already knew, and the other half would know by morning. The story would get twisted; Link would be a violent attacker, jumping on a poor farming family and keeping them from seeing one of their own. She looked at him very closely.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just scraped up—

"No, Link. I mean, are you alright? I know we've both had some problems since Ganondorf attacked, but… this is a little extreme, even for you."

"I was acting defensively," he replied, getting defensive now.

Zelda reached over and put her hand in his. "I know. I know. But…" She sighed. "Maybe you need a holiday. Get out of the castle for a few days."

"I can't leave now, there's a lot more risk with all these people."

"I think that you should seriously consider it." There was a hard note in her words, that this was not something to argue over. Link looked at her. "It may get very ugly in the castle."

"I want to stay here."

"I know you do. And I want you to stay. But I have to think about what the people will want." She was thinking, resting her forehead on one hand, propped up by the table.

Link jiggled one foot aimlessly, looking anywhere but at her. He was replaying the fight in his mind again and again; he could've seen the men were unarmed, he could've seen their shabby dress. Is it true that months ago, he would have stepped out and simply asked them what they were doing there, instead of attacking like a wild dog?

"You'll be going to Riversong," Zelda said suddenly.

"What's that?"

"It's a summer house on Lake Hylia, out west near Roldin. It's a day's travel."

"How long do you want me to be there?"

"At least until Kerzenacht is done."

"So…" he thought about it, "almost a week, I think."

"Something like that." She drummed her nails, feeling sick and conflicted. She really didn't want to send Link away. She knew she didn't sleep well without him, and she liked their talks and eating dinner with someone and the… their bonding. But people would be screaming for a punishment for him. Tension between the classes was at a fever pitch already. It would escalate with this news. Link was supposed to be their figurehead, the underdog-to-hero, the proof that all had unknown greatness inside.

She looked at him, and he looked at her, his face grim.

"You'll leave tonight," she said finally, her voice cracking.


	8. Chapter 8

Either Ganondorf had not known about the summerhouse, or he had not cared, as it was more or less intact. The lake was frozen over from winter, and the door was barricaded with snow that took a few hours to dig out. No one spoke to Link on the trip until they bid him goodbye. He went inside, and found furniture covered with cloths to keep off dust, spiderwebs in every corner, and the occasional pile of mouse droppings. They left him a maid, a cook, and three guards, but the guards were a formality. When he was piled in the carriage, Zelda had commanded him, "stay for the rest of Kerzenacht, and then return." They both knew he would hold to it.

He'd wanted to reach out and touch her, or kiss her, something that would make her change her mind, but it was no doing. She walked away before the carriage was even shut.

The maid started to clean, pulling off the cloth covers and rolling them up carefully to keep the dust trapped. The cook went to investigate the kitchen and see what sort of tools were there. The guards began to unpack their food supplies, enough for all for the few days. The little group of people exiled with him said nothing, and were polite to his face, but Link suspected they felt unfairly punished as well. Once they were set up, he planned to send them back to the castle, to enjoy the rest of the fair. He knew a little bit on how to cook, enough to survive on.

The maid and cook packed up quickly, after asking him again and again if he was sure, but the guards steadfastedly refused. It was their duty to the crown to watch him, and he was not going to be able to shake them off so easily. Link took it in stride. He hadn't expected them to eagerly agree to leave, but he couldn't help but hope they would, all the same. He investigated the supplies for the kitchen and made them a quick meal of cooked vegetables. If he could cut a hole in the ice, he might be able to catch fish for them.

The maid and cook left in one of the carriages. It would return at the end of the one week for the supplies. There was one left at the house, in case of emergencies, and the soldiers were to be pretty particular about what constituted an emergency.

They ate without speaking, and Link explored the rest of the house to pick a room. It was a beautiful house, really, and he was sure that in the summer it kept cool, especially with the breeze coming off the lake. But it was frigid at this time of year. He picked a bedroom that looked over the lake, what he assumed was usually the master bedroom, by the size of the bed. He left his clothes in the luggage case he'd brought, and he looked out the massive bay window at the lake below, covered with snow except for a few dark patches where it'd blown away or something had broken through the ice.

He thought about Zelda, and the men he'd attacked, and the soldiers that were supposed to guard him, and he put his head against the cold glass. It stung on his bruise, but the cold panes soon numbed the bump on his head. He closed his eyes and stood like that for a while longer before pushing away. Link paced the room for a bit, but knowing it all to be useless, he took off his boots and climbed into bed, staring at the ceiling.

\

Zelda did hide, as she'd intended to do. As it should've been, she asked a guard or two to keep patrol on the stairs and then the hall before her room, to keep out the foolish. Link wasn't there, but she wasn't taking any chances with strangers wandering too close to her sanctuary again. It was the first little problem she hadn't thought of, and that perplexed her. How did she not even consider her safety? Then again, they hadn't considered their safety when wandering into the marketplace, either, and look at how well that turned out.

She took her meals in her rooms and spoke little, pretending to be working on finances or reading a book; anything to keep people out of her face, out of her way, and leaving her alone. She had no patience, she was getting even less sleep (it was always Ganondorf when the doors fell now), and she was worried that this one incident would ruin her best idea to resurrect Hyrule's prosperity.

She glanced at the clock on one wall and found it was barely past 3:00 in the afternoon. It was going to be a slow week.

\

The rest of the craft fair went mostly without incident; there were fights between drunks in the taverns, whom were promptly removed by the guards and put into a dungeon cell to cool off. Theft was higher than ideal, but swift action by the guards helped to reunite most of the victims with their money or possessions. Though she'd been bad at first, peeking at their accounts, Zelda forced herself to hold off until Link came back, and they could talk about it.

She had sent out Tilly on a break, to spend some time mingling in the fair and listening to others' conversation, to see what, if anything, they said about that incident. Some people, from what she heard, believed that Link had been fighting off intruders or assassins, to keep Zelda safe. People who knew the family, though, suspected that Link had wanted a fight, and was completely irrational and bloodthirsty, maybe even a little insane.

"He didn't even talk to them, he just attacked, from what I heard," muttered one patron. "Jumped them from behind when they were just trying to relieve themselves."

There were a few others who thought that Link and the young man of the family were fighting over the hand of Her Majesty, but they were known as dreamy romantics with no sensible thoughts in their heads, and were dismissed.

Tilly lingered for a bit longer, but those were the opposing sides, and the farming community's anger at Link for an unprovoked attack far outweighed the other. They were also upset that Link was apparently nowhere to be found, as some wished to show him a more personal reaction, but overall they were disgusted and disappointed with him, who they'd seen as betraying their own.

"Let him rot in the dungeons forever," an old man grumbled to whoever would listen.

Zelda was saddened when Tilly came back to her with the report, but she only sighed helplessly. "Well, what can you do? Hopefully they'll forget about it in a week." She drummed her fingers on the table. "Do you think it would be a good idea to have Link apologize to them?"

"Oh yes, absolutely. Nothing flashy, though. He should just go of his own accord and make the apology."

Zelda nodded. "I'll send him a letter. He can go now, while he's exiled."

Tilly nodded and stood, still and silent, while Zelda quickly wrote the letter, rolled it up, and sealed it with wax.

"Have a messenger ride out at once with the note, please."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Tilly left immediately, and Zelda was alone in her room. She sighed and slouched down in her chair, twirling her pen with her fingers. She missed him. And she hoped that it was true, that the people would have something more entertaining to think about in a week or so. She considered heading out to Riversong herself, but rumors about the two of them were already at a fever pitch, and he was supposed to be _punished_, not kept in a jeweled case like her own personal… companion.

It was a shame that she hadn't been able to pull him away from that door in time. They could be sitting now, eating some croissants and talking about anything that came to mind, or not talking at all, but watching the snow fall.

She stood up and walked around for a bit, then sat down, leafed through a book, stood up again, thought about calling for tea but she wasn't thirsty.

And in two days was the charity auction and the closing ceremony. Yes, there was simply no time for her to visit him. Instead, she forced herself to pick up a book and sit down with it open to a page, staring at it until dinner.

\

The next day, Link received the letter. He invited the messenger to stay and have some watery beer, which he did, and Link opened the letter and sat to read it.

Master Link,

It has been wisely suggested that you attempt to make amends with the men who were wrongfully attacked. Their names are Dorin and Gordin. Gordin is the younger, I believe. They are still housed at the royal doctor's office, which is located approximately six or so hours travel south of Riversong. One recommends you make haste to the location at once.

Sincerely,

Her Royal Majesty Zelda

_I miss you_

Link nodded and crumpled the letter, and when he was certain the guards and the messenger were talking about the road conditions and the ride over and the fair, he sniffed the paper. It smelled a little like her perfume. He missed her too.

He carefully scratched at the thin material until her last three little words were obliterated from the page, and went over to the guards. Their conversation quieted when they noticed him there, looking rather ragged and a little annoyed.

"Well sir? What can we do for you?"

"I need one of you to go with me on a trip. Her Majesty has commanded me to personally apologize to the men that were injured, and I would like to do so quickly."

The head guard (or Link thought of him as such) held his hand out for the letter. Link handed it over, and the guard read it carefully, then examined the seal for flaws that would mark it a fraud. Finding no problems, he handed it back. "You will take two of us, I think. One of us will stay here and guard the house until you return."

"Of course. However you'd prefer it. But I'd like to leave shortly."

The head guard looked at the other two guards sternly. They hesitated, then downed their beers and stood. Link immediately turned and headed outside to the stables. Epona had been left at the castle; she fought and almost bit the stablehands when they tried to hook her up for the carriages, and it was common knowledge that she was unnaturally fast. They were not about to give her over to the only man who could handle her while he was in exile.

"Did you want to ride in the carriage, sir?" one of the guards asked, sounding bored.

"No. We'll go on horseback. I feel more comfortable like that." Especially since he was cooped up all day anyway.

"Very well."

They bundled up in warm coats and put heavy blankets over the horses, then headed towards the doctor's place of business, Link allowing the guards to set the pace. They knew better than he what the horses could handle, and he didn't want to injure his own in his haste.

The sun was setting when they arrived. Link knew the house by the doctor's symbol out front, and he reined in the horse, dismounted, and tied it at the posts at the front door. He headed up the steps, followed by the guards, and hesitated. They stood in silence behind him, waiting, and after another moment of deliberation, he knocked.

A maid opened the door and smiled, her eyes hard. "Did you have an appointment?"

"Uh, no. I came to see a patient."

"Of course. Please come in."

They entered into a huge foyer space, lined with chairs, where a few destitute people sat, waiting. They ignored Link for the most part, concentrating on their own problems. Link and the guards shook off their coats and the maid took them to hang them up.

"I'm here to see… uh…"

He'd forgotten their names, and he looked at the maid helplessly. She obviously knew the story, though, because she again gave him that stern smile (how?!) and gestured for him to follow.

The foyer split into four halls; one on the left, one on the right, and two on either side of a walled space, heading straight. She led them down the left side tunnel that pointed onward, and Link saw it was lined with doors. Some open, where he could see patients resting in their beds, and many closed. They were almost at the end of the hall when she stopped them and opened the door, gesturing for them to stay there before she went inside to inform them of their visitor and ask if they were ready to see them.

It was apparently an affirmative; she returned and gestured for them to enter.

Link walked in slowly and looked at the men. They looked… much better, actually. Almost healed, he would think, except for bruising around the eyes. They were laying in bed though, and they glared at him hatefully.

"Oh, look who it is," snarled the younger, whatever his name. "Come back to beat us up some more? Go on, it's the queen's money."

"Shut up, Gordin," the old man snarled. He looked at Link critically. "What do you want?"

Link tried to look remourseful, or at least as if he hadn't heard a little too much, and folded his hands together. "I've come to apologize and beg forgiveness for what I've done."

"Oh, la di da," Gordin said, flapping his hands about. His voice had a nasally tone now, from the broken nose, and it got on Link's nerves. "The fancy made man has come to dance."

"Shut UP, Gordin! Or I'll beat you worse than he!" The old man focused on Link. "And what made you attack us, so."

"I believed you both to be assassins, coming after Her Majesty."

The old man laughed. "Assassins! Us! You didn't stop to think we'd make a bad job of it!"

"On the contrary, sir, I've seen some things I cannot explain. I know better than to assume things are what they are. An old man and his son visiting a relative who happens to be the queen's personal maid? It's a cover story like any other."

"Are you saying we're liars?!" he snapped back.

"No. I'm telling you how I saw it."

"And exactly when did you realize we weren't a couple of cutthroats?"

Link swallowed hard. "At the end. You got to understand, I've… I'm not used to castle life."

The old man snorted and looked at his son, who was whistling and staring absently at the ceiling, obviously not caring.

"I only meant to keep Her Majesty safe. I've got no quarrel with you, I don't even know your family. I was only acting in the crown's best interests, but… but I took it too far. I'm sorry."

The old man shrugged. "Whatever. Foolish youth. Maybe next time, stop to see if your assassins are just a poor old man and his son."

"I will try." Link hesitated, but he was pretty sure he wouldn't get a hard acceptance out of the man. Instead, he turned and left, the guards following along.

They rode back in silence, and Link turned in, leaving the guards to cook for themselves. He climbed into bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking about the irritation of the old man and the laziness of his son. Surely even the royal doctor wouldn't let them stay for long; they shouldn't've even still been there for Link to meet them. He'd had worse injuries and never even went to a doctor (until Zelda yelled at him and called one in). When he got home, if he found out they were still there, he would tell her what they said. She would be sure to pressure the doctor to kick them out.

As he tended to, late at night, he thought about Zelda. He no longer thought about Verla, except for the occasional pinprick in his heart, some vestige of guilt as he 'betrayed' her for Zelda. Ridiculous, as she was never his. He lingered over Zelda's rare laughter, her warm smile and eyes, her long hair. He liked it down, flowing over her shoulders so that he could run his fingers through it (or at least he daydreamed about that, mostly). He liked the feel of her warm body against his, and he wondered how things would've turned out if Dorin or Gorin or whatever his name was hadn't been such a damned loud whisperer; she'd been pulling on his shirt, her kisses had been getting deeper and more forceful, and if she'd commanded him to bed he would have gone like a shot.

He thought about her now, wondering what she liked and how she would react. If there was one thing Verla left him, it was a little bit of knowledge on women and what they enjoyed. He wondered if she would use her commands on him, and he didn't think he would mind it so bad in that context. He rolled over on his side and buried his face in one pillow. If he breathed in deep enough, it smelled like her.

\

Zelda woke up and rubbed the blur from her eyes, lying there in bed for a few minutes. It was finally the last day of the craft fair, the day of the auction and the informal dinner (and traditional Kerzenacht ceremony) afterwards. One of her ladies-in-waiting had arranged it, and Zelda was glad that she'd had three dresses altered as opposed to two (even though one was considered a 'backup'). She rubbed her hands together; by tomorrow, Link would be back. All the more reason to make it through the day.

Her hair was soon combed and styled, and she had some tea brought up while she curled up in a reading chair, the one she'd been lurking around for the past few days, because it was near a window that faced out towards the east gardens, and as far away from her writing desk with the ominous ledger as possible. It was her own personal copy that sat on the desk. The accounting rooms had their own copies, and these were kept updated weekly. It bothered her to know that her book may be out of date, but she forced it from her mind. It was not the end of the week, and the accountants' books were at the same number as hers, as far as she knew, so it wouldn't matter anyway.

She left her rooms to walk and stretch her legs a little bit. She took the book she hadn't read, to carry it to a viewing room or exchange it for another book that would sit uselessly in her lap while she thought about him and wished him well. It was funny; when he was here, she could focus on her work as needed, keeping calm and cool, maybe a little too much so. But when he was gone and there was nothing for her to do, she felt as restless as a caged bird. And even though they hadn't been assassins, she now had a bug of worry that someone might try to attack her in the castle. As such, there were now guards standing at the doors to both their rooms, to confuse any assassins and to keep anyone from sneaking through the hidden entrance.

She put away her book and picked a different one, looking at it. It sounded engaging enough, so maybe it would distract her from her thoughts. On a whim, she wondered if she dare check the craft fair and see what all was left in stock. Some vendors had sold most of their supplies already, mostly important supplies like canned fruit and vegetables. She considered the book, then put it back, deciding to check out the craft fair. She would be within sight of the guards this way, and it was right in the castle; few would dare attack her.

Zelda tucked some hair back behind her ears and headed towards the main hall. Just the sound of it being busy again was exciting. She kept herself at a deliberate, slow pace, folding her hands together and walking into the main hall. For the most part, people were quite busy and took little notice of her until she was at a vendor's table, where they would bow and either thank her for her benevolence or try to sell their items to her; beautiful necklaces and rings and earrings, ribbons and bolts of cloth for dresses, pies that were made fresh at their homes that morning (if close enough).

She hesitated at a long swath of fabric, a gorgeous, heavy satin with a dull sheen that changed colors from a pale champagne to a lavender in the light, tilting it back and forth.

"Oh, Your Majesty! It would go so great against your complexion. As a formal wedding dress, for certain!" the vendor said eagerly. Zelda looked at her and managed a little smile, then back to the fabric. It really would flow beautifully in a heavy train for an early spring dress—

"I'll take it," a woman spoke up eagerly, leaning in. She hesitated and checked herself, curtsying low and looking at the floor. "If Her Majesty does not wish to purchase it."

Zelda, as most noble women tend to, immediately looked at the woman's dress for an idea of her wealth and social standing. It was a heavy, blue brocade, one white deerskin boot (scrupulously clean) poking out from the hem, and the dress's edges and hems were hand embroidered with silver and offwhite thread and pearls. Money, but not enough to buy a position higher than Duke, she would think.

"And you are?" Zelda finally said with a smile.

"I am Vicereine Verla D'Angrive, Your Grace. Come from Termina to see the fair and to help support Hyrule." Verla turned her head up and met Zelda's eyes briefly, unable to hide the faintest of smirks.

And the curve of her stomach.

\

Zelda bought the fabric even though she immediately felt sick and guilty, and had it sent to her rooms for consideration. She then invited Verla to walk with her, trying to keep her gaze innocent and unknowing. They idled through the craft fair and Zelda watched as Verla bought pearl cufflinks for her father-in-law, matching earrings for mother-in-law, heavy writing paper and new pens for her father, fur-trimmed gloves for her mother, several necklaces for herself, and a silver decorative rattle for 'the little one'.

"I am terribly sorry for the way things ended with my dear husband, Your Grace. He is usually quite level-headed in most matters."

"Of course," Zelda said with a nod, looking but not touching.

"I would hope that we would be able to patch things up somehow between the countries. Perhaps it is too late for a peace treaty, but some sort of alliance between us could be a powerful thing."

"Yes, I agree wholeheartedly. Termina and Hyrule have always been on each other's good sides."

"As a native Hylian, it pains me to see my mother country suffering so. I am unequipped to do so, but… know that you will always have… a friend in the D'Angrives…" Verla was becoming less and less subtle about looking around, going from her darting her eyes to full-on turning her head. Clearly she was dying for Zelda to ask her about it.

Zelda let her stew for a bit longer, pretending to be engrossed in studying a winged heart pendant hammered in gold, with a faceted glass window and a peacock feather encased inside. Her patience barely outdid Verla's own.

"Your Majesty, I am surprised to not see the hero here. What was his name again?"

For all her schmoozing, Verla was a miserable liar when she was nervous. Zelda sighed dramatically and shook her head. "You haven't heard?! The foolhardy boy; he jumped two men wandering the castle halls one night, thinking they were assassins. I sent him out for a few days to cool his heels; he should be back when there isn't quite so much… excitement." Zelda looked down at Verla's stomach. "Speaking of excitement! How far along are you?"

Verla smiled. "Oh, roughly four months."

That clinched it for Zelda; Verla believed it was Link's baby, and wanted to… confront him? Guilt him? Blackmail him?

"Have you had any signs about its sex?"

"Oh no, nothing yet," Verla said, stroking her stomach. "But I hope it will be a brave, strong boy, just like his father." She was testing the queen, waiting to gauge her reaction and see if Zelda would fly into a jealous rage. It was what she wanted.

"And hopefully as intelligent," Zelda answered. "I will give Theo credit for his mind, at least."

Verla's eyes narrowed slightly. Anyone looking at them from the outset would think they were raised as sisters, their arms linked and smiling at each other.

\

Link had finally fallen asleep, and he had been sleeping, having nightmares, tossing and turning in the huge bed. At their usual time, that strange hour before the sun quite rose, his eyes opened, automatically. It was the morning of the charity auction, the last day of the craft fair. It would be tomorrow when he finally got home, so technically…

He sat up and looked around. More snow had fallen, obscuring most of the windows and the lake from view. He'd been so bored. The ice was too thin to stand on; he tested it with increasingly heavier rocks, and it broke before he reached one half his weight (by estimation). They lived on the rations, they played card games and drank, talking least of all. The guards, to their credit, did not try to pry about him and Zelda. They didn't really care. Well okay, they did, but they had a feeling Link wouldn't talk, but their lady friends would.

Link stretched his arms and climbed out of bed. He dressed, taking his time doing so. Even though they would be embarking on a day-long ride, he wanted to look good at the outset, because… Zelda wouldn't care, so it wasn't that…

He stared at himself in the mirror. It was a high-necked shirt with full sleeves, embroidered at the cuffs, and a short-sleeved double-breasted blue wool jacket over that, that flared a little at the hips over his long pants, which tucked into his boots. He should probably get a proper haircut at some point, as well. He hoped in the summer he could get back to working outside, for something to do. Spending so many days doing nothing had him feeling itchy, and concerned about the days ahead. The country would get over him, especially after this incident, and Zelda wouldn't need him as a figurehead, as a symbol, as a talisman of sorts to keep the people from resenting her. She was so paranoid, they would love her and all she'd done to help them, he was sure of it.

He had this things packed up and was hauling the suitcase down when the other guards woke up. They nodded to him in greeting and one started to heat water for breakfast. It wouldn't be long, and he would be back with—back at the castle.

\

Zelda did not chat much longer with Verla. She felt she learned what she needed to know, and Verla had done her own sizing up of the queen. They were like vipers in a pit. Verla had said she would love to have the queen and Link at the child's blessing, if possible. Zelda smiled and said "Oh, of course! I would be honored." Verla obviously had something to prove; she was dying to catch Link, for whatever end. He didn't have any money, despite Zelda's attempts. All he had was his name.

His name. And his fame.

Idly, Zelda wondered about Verla. She hadn't always been Vicereine. If Link knew her on the ranch… what ranch was she from? Obviously one that was well off, judging by Theo's reaction to Link being here.

She knew she said she wasn't going to look at her books, but…

Zelda turned and immediately went to her rooms. Her countenance was stern as she walked quickly upstairs, past her guards. She only had a few hours left until the opening ceremony for the auction. Verla had told her she was staying in town at the Blessed Oak apartment house for a few more days. Zelda suspected she would wait around for Link as long as she could stand, or at least until Theo called her home.

Did Theo know?

Zelda immediately cast off the idea. It was just as ugly as what Verla was planning, and she was above that sort of thing. He would find out when the child was born. They all would.

She shook her head and returned to her books, looking through them, unsure where to begin. Verla was native to Hylia, so she would have a marriage certificate on file. She wouldn't be able to find it by Verla's name, as she didn't know it, but she could probably find it by Theo's.

She closed her books and headed downstairs instead, looking for the Room of Records.

It was near the accounting room in the basement, but it was generally left unguarded. Zelda knocked on the door, smiling at the old recordkeeper and his apprentice.

"Good day, Your Grace!" called out the recordkeeper. "A beautiful summer day, isn't it?"

Zelda glanced at the apprentice, who motioned to not bring it up. "Yes, it certainly is. I'm looking for a marriage certificate, Theo D'Angrive and his bride…"

"The… viceroy of Termina?" the apprentice asked.

"Yes."

"I apologize, Your Majesty, but I don't know if we have that."

"His bride is from Hyrule. There should be a copy. All I know is that her first name is Verla."

"Well, I'll try." The apprentice thought, looking around in the room, and finally selected a book and started looking. Zelda glanced again at the recordkeeper, who was writing slowly in a huge ledger.

"What is your name?" Zelda asked the apprentice in a low voice.

"I'm… Priscia, Your Majesty."

"How long has the recordkeeper been in this condition?"

"Um… he started going downhill a few months ago, after the attack on the castle… That's why the records are kind of a mess. He's still very protective of them. I've been trying to organize, but…"

Zelda sighed in frustration. "I understand. How long have you been apprentice?"

"Two years, Your Majesty."

Zelda nodded and glanced again at the recordkeeper, who was sucking on the end of the pen. "Um…"

The apprentice sighed and rushed over, taking it gently from the recordkeeper's hand and handing him instead a thin stick of candy, before returning to Zelda. "I apologize."

"It is fine."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I don't think I'll be able to find the marriage record right away."

Zelda smiled. "It's quite alright. Bring it to me when you can."

"Of course."

Zelda considered the recordkeeper as she left, but said nothing. She was stuck for now, but hopefully when Link returned, she could ask him. She stopped suddenly in the hall, remembering again that by tomorrow he would be back. It almost felt like she'd punished herself as well by keeping them apart. She forced herself onward. She had a brief lunch, and then sat to read, or at least stare at her book for a while.

\

The auction… went well. Very well, actually. Zelda kept out of it (that fabric! why!) besides a brief speech at the beginning, and thanking everyone for their support. Some of the bids escalated rapidly, but almost all items were guaranteed to gain some profit for the castle. It was a good way for her to waste some time, at least. She kept a mostly passive eye on the proceedings, her hands in her lap. She glanced out into the crowd now and again, seeing Verla bidding occasionally on sets of china, expensive jewelry, things of that nature. She wondered what her game was with Link. It wasn't as if he could take her away for marriage now.

Afterwards, there was a dinner, and she ate sparingly alongside her guests and her staff. Now everything seemed a distraction, another obstacle to deal with and survive, and she was more impatient than ever to have him near. It was almost a fearful sort of nervousness; that without him, something, anything, could go wrong.

Someone had hired in a band, and the tables were moved to one side of the great hall after the meal. Zelda was surprised; she hadn't planned for a ball. She certainly hadn't budgeted for one. She looked around in disapproval, and caught Odelia's eye. Odelia smiled and winked at her. The people needed one last event to remind them that life was still worth living, that they could and would survive whatever obstacles came at them for the rest of the year.

At great cajoling, Zelda did accept a few dances, even though she was badly out of practice and her shoes weren't terribly comfortable for it. Even when she stepped on her partner's feet, he just laughed and told her it was fine. The band would play a stately waltz, and then a fiddler would stand up and the music would change to a quick tempo jig, and it was hilarious to watch the nobility struggle with the steps against their lower-caste partners. When Zelda's feet were hurting far too much to dance farther, she joined Odelia and others at a table for card games, most of which she lost. All the time she was smiling a bit, and, for a few hours, she didn't think about Link once.

\

They made good time on the roads. The leaving carriages had cleared a good path, once they got to the main thoroughfair, and from then it was a high trot to the castle. Link estimated it was roughly five or so in the morning, and a rush of alertness had come over him.

They took a side entrance, having to go through a brief inspection by the guard at the gate of the entrance (meant only for the royal house), and then were allowed in. Link wondered if enough people were awake yet to justify having a bath drawn, but he would try to sleep first, and deal with it later.

He stopped at the stables and saw Epona. She could smell the other horse on him and snorted, turning her head away and nipping at his fingers like a jealous wife. He persisted, stroking her neck and mane until she calmed down and butted her head with his. He would probably have to take her out for a good ride later; he didn't trust the stablehands to do it right (and neither did Epona, of course).

The few maids up and about wished him good morning when he walked in. At first, he assumed they were preparing for something large, but there were quite a few more maids awake than he expected. Some of them were giddy and laughing, as if they hadn't even been asleep yet. He was surprised; he didn't think the auction was running that late.

"What's going on?" he asked a maid, who looked exhausted.

"Oh, sir. You're back. Her Majesty will be pleased, quite frankly she's been sooo bitchy since you left. We're just cleaning up from the shindig and all that, so I'm sorry if I'm a little tired. Uh… did you need anything? It might be a while."

"Um, no. I'm fine. A shindig? I didn't think she was arranging that."

"Aw, yeah, some of the party committee or whatever arranged it." The maid shrugged; she was so tired that her formal language and defensive barrier had dropped, and her mouth ran on ahead of her. "It was pretty fun though, shame about you bein' gone. S'none of my business but those guys shouldn't've been wandering around the damn halls anyway."

"Uh, thanks."

"Welp; you'll probably want to go see Her Majesty, so I'll letcha go." She slapped his shoulder and wheeled to finish her tasks before sleep.

Link looked around and rubbed his eyes, then he headed up to his bedroom, letting his suitcase drop with a thunk on the floor, and then he yawned and began his nightly routine, which, this night (or morning) consisted of pulling off his coat and shoes, and then dropping onto the bed in his room with a solid walloping noise.

\

Zelda had been sleeping for a few hours and dreaming her nightmares (Ganondorf had grabbed her by the jaw and forced her mouth open before pouring a poison down her throat, some sort of scorching burning concoction that reached her belly and left her writhing in silent, unending pain), but her eyes snapped open when she heard a soft thump. It was very faint, and she almost thought she imagined it. She sat up, feeling sore. The illicit fabric she bought sat neatly folded on top of her dresser, glimmering in the moonlight. She checked her clock and yawned. He wouldn't be home yet, would he?

Oh. Right. She thought she would wait up to greet him, then she thought that was rather forward and revealing so she decided she would wait up in her rooms to see him, and from there she'd fallen asleep on accident, while reading (staring at) a book.

Well, just in case he was there, she climbed out of bed and pulled on a robe. She looked around, but her maid was asleep. A comfortable routine, though she was far more sore than she expected, from the dancing and carousing in shoes and a dress meant for sitting and looking pretty.

She touched the door and gently pushed it open, sneaking through to Link's rooms. She hesitated at the door, rubbing her fingers together, and hesitantly she pushed it open. Link was already asleep in his bed; he'd cast off his boots and jacket and flopped directly onto his stomach. Zelda worked her way around to the side of the bed and took his hand, sighing.

He shifted and turned his head, blinking up at her. "Hey," he muttered.

"Good morning," she replied quietly.

"We just got in a bit ago."

"Mm. I figured as much." She smiled a little and leaned back against the headboard. Link closed his eyes again.

"How was it?"

She shrugged. "It went well. I think we'll be alright. I really do."

"Find anything good?"

"Well, I picked up fabric I shouldn't have… because there was another woman interested in it."

"Oh yeah?" He was only half-listening, and his tone was drowsy and quiet.

"Yes. Um..." She sat, thinking, not sure if Link was still awake or not. She squeezed his hand a little, and he squeezed back.

"Verla's in town," she said finally, the words flying out of her mouth before she could do anything about it. Link didn't react that she could tell, and she had the idea that he was, indeed, still asleep. She cleared her throat. "Link?"

"She's in town," he answered, as if the words didn't make sense.

"Yes."

Link turned his head slightly and looked up at Zelda. She was watching him, tense and waiting for his reaction.

"Was she the one you were fighting over fabric with?"

"Well, we weren't… we weren't fighting over it, but she wanted it and I couldn't let her have it, because of the… the way she simpered and acted so deferential, but she was faking it, I could tell."

Link let go of her hand and sat up, focusing his gaze on Zelda. "So. You met her over fabric, and she introduced herself, and you put two and two together…"

"Yes. It wasn't that hard. She said she was looking specifically for you."

He frowned and looked away, folding his arms. "What the hell does she want with me now?" he muttered, not really asking Zelda. "I mean, she had her chance, and she squandered that…"

Zelda looked at Link's strong hands. Ugh, why were they talking? She missed him! There were a million other things they c—

No, this was important. Link had to know this first.

"Link, Verla's pregnant."

"She's pregnant." He still wasn't looking at her.

"Yes. And… she thinks it's yours." Zelda looked at him, but his face was inscrutable. He looked slightly puzzled, but nothing more. "C… could it be?"

"Yes, it very well could." He rubbed his face with his hands. "How far along did she say she was?"

"Four months, I think."

"Yeah, she… then it could be." His heart was pounding, and the cold creep of dread was in his gut. "Why the hell is she here?"

"I don't know, but she said… she said she wanted to see you, so…" Zelda wanted to touch his arm, to let him know it would be alright, but she held back.

"Farore's breath," he said finally in a sigh of exasperation, burying his face in his hands.

"It will be alright, Link. I will help you."

"With what?!" he snapped, unexpectedly. He was tired, he couldn't help it. "How can you possibly help me with this, unless you go and have a sword run through her belly?!" They stared at each other, and Link felt a cold chill. "Don't do it, Zelda."

"I wouldn't do that in a million years," she assured him in a whisper. "I couldn't."

He looked at her so desperately that she had to move forward and embrace him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. He put his hands at her shoulder blades and put his cheek against hers, and with each breath he could smell the last traces of her perfume, but his apprehension was so great that he couldn't even enjoy it.

He held onto Zelda for a while, as she stroked his hair and tried to reassure him, that she would do all she could to help him.

"What can I even do?" he asked her, finally, when the sun had started to rise.

Zelda thought as she rubbed his back in a slow circle. "The best thing… is to meet with her somewhere, and see what she wants."

He sighed in frustration.

"It might not even be anything, you know? Maybe she just wants to talk to you about the possibility of it being yours."

"Let's hope so." Link finally pulled back from Zelda. He looked at her and touched her cheek, and Zelda leaned her head into his fingers. "I've missed you," he muttered.

"I missed you as well. You won't be attacking anyone else, will you?" She grinned, and he shook his head slightly.

"Of course not."

"I would hope not. I'll have to send you off for a month next time."

"A month? You couldn't survive that."

Zelda raised her eyebrows. "You don't know what I can survive, Master Link. I even danced last night, without you."

He managed an actual laugh, a choking little thing, but it was there. "Oh, the queen of dancing now, are you? You think you'll be able to show me any of those moves later?"

She shrugged one shoulder and looked away. "Time will tell."

He took her hands in his and kissed them, then set them down again.

"You should go to see… Verla. Get it over with."

"Yeah. Um… I'll send her a message or something and let her know I'm here, I guess, and see how she wants to proceed."

Zelda nodded. "I'm glad we have a plan."

"We. She wants to see you too?"

"… no. I… I meant you." Zelda tucked some hair behind one ear. "Did you… want to see the fabric?"

"The… oh, right. Um, sure." She stood up and hesitated, looking at the secret door, and the clock in Link's room. "Will you wait here?"

"Of course." He sat back down on the bed and folded his hands together to wait.

Zelda instead took the main door out of his room and to her own. Her maid was awake and making the beds, and she stopped to bow her head. "Good morning, Your Majesty."

"Good morning," Zelda replied curtly, going to the fabric and looking it over. She hesitated, then picked up the bundle of it. "I think I might show this to the dressmaker… see what she thinks, if she has any ideas."

The maid looked at the fabric and nodded. "It's beautiful fabric, Your Majesty."

Zelda sighed and nodded slowly. "It is, isn't it."

The maid shrugged her shoulders. "Perhaps for a wedding dress, some day?"

"I think we'll let the dressmaker figure that out."

"Of course."

Zelda left with the material and headed back to Link's room. He had decided to change while he waited, so when she walked in he was half-buttoning a shirt and Zelda stopped just inside the door and stared at the fabric until he was done.

"Okay, what we got?" He walked over and touched the fabric carefully, even though he didn't know much at all about fabric until he was wearing it, and he played with it a little. He noticed the way it changed in the light and started to wrinkle it this way and that, watching the colors change in the light. "This is really beautiful."

"It should be, it cost enough," Zelda muttered, a little annoyed.

"Hey, you wanted the stuff," he reminded her.

"Only because Verla was going to take it first."

"I hope that's not your only reason for liking things. Out of competition." He was half-kidding, but only half, and Zelda looked at him oddly, then leaned forward and kissed him.

Link pulled back. "Hey, last time we started doing this, things got outta hand."

"They won't this time, I promise."

"You'll stop me if I try to run out the door and punch a maid in the face for walking suspiciously?"

"I'll try." Zelda set the fabric down on a table and turned to Link again. She put her hands on his arms, and his hands went to her waist, and they kissed again, real slow and testing each other, unsure of where they stood with each other.

They stepped back and Link put a hand to his lips, like he was saving it.

"What?" Zelda asked, her heart pounding.

"Nothin'." He was grinning a little. "I… I missed you a lot."

'I know, I missed you too," she answered, mystified as to why he kept saying it.

"I… think I should send a message to Verla, um… and get that over with."

"Now?" She balked; why did he think of _her_?

"Well, because… stuff like that is what got her into that trouble in the first place." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh." Zelda nodded, but she was still a little insulted that he went there. It was just kissing.

"That and, yeah, I should get some closure with her and get it over with, and maybe then I can move on with you. If… that's what you want."

Zelda shrugged. "Well, we'll see." She folded her arms and sort of swayed a little, looking away. "If you promise not to think about her all the time."

He stepped forward and pulled her in, though she fought him a little at first, and then he kissed her again, their tongues touching. And then she realized what he'd meant, able to feel him against her thigh.

"Okay," Zelda said, pushing herself back. "You mail Verla. You see what she wants. And then… hopefully you will come back before dinner, and we can eat together, if you want."

She looked around and her eyes alighted on the fabric. "I should probably take this fabric to the dressmaker as I said I would, for her to keep for a dress of some sort."

"She won't try to use it while she has it on hand?"

"No. She knows not to." There was a stern sound to Zelda's voice, and Link grinned.

"Alright. You go deal with the dressmaker. I'll get my stuff done done."

Zelda nodded and scooped up the fabric in her arms, giving him a little wave before she left. When the door shut, Link sighed and sat down for a minute, shaking his head. Then, he got up again and went to the mostly untouched writing desk, and sat down at that instead.

\

He knocked gently on the door to her room, and stepped back, his hands on his hips. He hoped this would be as painless as possible, but who knew. Eventually, a maid opened the door and let him in.

"It's Master Link, my lady," she called out to Verla, who was drinking tea and propped up on a couch, resplendent in a lilac gown. He glanced at her stomach, then back to her face as she stood, setting down her cup.

"Oh Link," she said desperately, her eyes bright with tears and regret. She was beautiful; pregnancy had given her thicker hair and golden skin. "Oh, how I've missed you." She walked on fast little steps to him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, and her belly was more obvious pressed against his. Link hugged her back, because it felt like the polite thing to do, but his arms felt weak and when she stepped back, the touch of her was like a burn.

"So, how've you been," he asked her casually, his hands going back to his hips. "Besides marrying Theo and getting knocked up and all that."

Verla narrowed her eyes slightly. It hadn't taken much for Zelda to turn him against her.

"Leave us," she commanded the maids, who did so, exiting the room. Verla invited him to sit with her, and he did, on the opposite end of the couch.

"Are you sure you have those in the right order?" she asked him as she smoothed her dress.

"Okay, so it could be mine. I kinda figured that was your angle." He shrugged. "I can't marry you. I don't have any money. What do you want from me?"

Verla leaned over and put her hand on his. "But you could, you really could. We could run off to the northernmost territories."

Link slid his hand from hers, glaring at her. "Don't be stupid, Verla. I'm not running away with you. And why the hell would you run away from your totally cushy life with Theo for me? What do I have that he doesn't, besides being unobtainable? _You _turned _me_ down, remember? So tell me now, why I should even be here, listening to you."

Verla was silent, thinking before she spoke. "If it's yours, and it probably is… I will have to leave. I won't have any money, I won't be able to survive on my own out there."

"That's not my problem."

"Yes it IS! I didn't knock myself up! You came crawling back to the ranch and laid with me like any other man would have! Had to mark your tree!"

"Are you seriously getting mad at _me_ right now?!" he snapped back. "You think that you were just a warm place to me? Do you know what you did to me when you told me you were going to pick Theo?! Do you know what it was like to watch you with him or with Rik, knowing they had far more to offer you than I did?! Knowing I didn't stand a chance?! But now I've got a title. I've got a future. I've got something to me and all of a sudden you come crawling back! Yeah, maybe I did get you pregnant. But don't you act like I led you on, Verla. Don't you dare!"

Verla burst into tears, and dabbed at them with a hankerchief. There was a time where he would have apologized. He would have pulled her close and told her he was sorry, he would have kissed them from her face.

Now he just sat staring, his arms folded and his expression one of deep disgust.

"So why the fuck did you drag me over here? What do you think I can do for you?"

She sniffled. "I want you to be at the blessing, is all. We'll know for sure if it's your son by then."

"And what if I don't go?"

"I'll tell Zelda about your bastard."

"Pff. Zelda knows."

This was something that, foolishly, Verla had not considered. Her face fell in shock.

"She knows?"

"Yeah. I was honest with her about you and me. She wasn't thrilled, but…" He shrugged.

Verla growled under her breath and crumpled the hankerchief with an angry fist. "That conniving bitch," she muttered. "I'm glad she never got a single damned rupee off us."

Link raised one eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She turned on him like a snake. "Oh. You _don't_ know? The day after you planted the seed to make this child, Her Majesty's forces came barging down the ranch door demanding all of our money for war reparations. More like expensive woven satin; she snatched some right out from under my nose at the fair."

"Did you pay into the tax?"

"Oh, is that what she calls it? No I didn't fucking pay into it. I ran with the money. Good on you for alerting the men that I was still there."

Link narrowed his eyes. "You do know it's a three day ride from the castle to the ranch, right? You only went to it every other year to sell the wool or get supplies."

"How do I know you didn't have them lying in wait?! It was awful convenient that you could manage to love and leave, and then they come along demanding money like pimps!"

"Because you know me, Verla. Or at least you should. And you should've paid your damn taxes." He stood up, done with the conversation. "Hyrule needs its people more than ever right now. I thought you would care about those going without. But I guess when you have everything, you don't want to give up anything." He bowed to her and headed to the door.

"Link, wait! If..."

He turned and looked at her.

"If Theo kicks me out with the baby…"

"I can maybe get you to Roldin, and maybe give you some money. But I'm not going with you, and I can't guarantee anything."

Verla sighed. "Do you love her?"

Link shrugged. "I might."

He left.


	9. Chapter 9

Some hours later, and Zelda was still in her pajamas. Despite the maid in her room doing some tidying (which she insisted upon doing because it 'felt right'), Zelda had declared a holiday for the castle staff, as a reward for their hard work leading up to and during the fair and auction. The soldiers joked around and played cards in their loose woven clothes and heavy coats, the cooks prepared some easy meals of cold cuts and things, the cold cuts having been kept in chests filled with ice to stay good, and the maids hid in their lounge rooms and gossiped or slept. It was sunnier out than it had been in a while, and the icicles dripped steadily. They would refreeze, longer, overnight, but for now Zelda could believe that spring wasn't far, and she found it comforting. They would see if their efforts were finally going to pay off.

The dressmaker had been excited to see the fabric. She waved it about in the light, ran it through a ring for… whatever reason("To test the drape and crispness of the material!") and had heartily agreed to keep it locked up and safe for whatever occasion Zelda needed it for. She would also plan a few designs if necessary, but Zelda told her not to worry too much about having anything concrete for a while.

"Just… think on it, a little bit. But nothing too seriously," she had asked, and the dressmaker had agreed.

She had then stopped to check on the accountants, but they were busy counting and could not stay distracted for long, so she paused at the Room of Records, where Priscia was trying to put the certificates in logical order and configuration, and the recordkeeper was asleep in his chair. Priscia did not even know the queen stopped by, or she would have turned to show her she'd found the marriage certificate, if she still needed it. It'd been put in a book of country ordinances.

For once, the castle felt at peace, and filled with a renewed sense of purpose. It made Zelda feel calm as well, and she was finally able to sit down for a few minutes with a book and read, _truly_ read, with minimal distraction.

She was engrossed in the book when Link returned about mid-afternoon. He had taken his time getting dressed to deal with Verla (a puffy-sleeved blouse that was gathered tightly at the wrists under a long-sleeved green coat, with knee-length breeches and dark brown boots, the embroidered ones) and afterwards he'd stopped at a pub and had a couple of glasses of beer. He and the tender chatted for a couple hours about women and how frustrating they were ("…but damn worth it sometimes," said the bartender with a sagely nod, and Link only shook his head), and then he had a little bite to eat (a bowl of soup with some dry barley bread) before leaving a generous tip for the discounted meal and leaving. The bartender made no comments about Link's scuffle with the two men; he liked to keep a neutral stance. It was easier to get patrons to trust him (and subsequently buy more drinks) that way.

He stopped at his room and removed the coat, hanging it up, and pulling off the boots. They were alright and looked nice, but they pinched his toes and the sides of his feet, as they hadn't been broken in all that well yet. He switched back to his regular boots, the ones that had gotten him through everything. The leather was scuffed and cracking, and the stitching on the sole was coming undone, but he was hesitant to get them repaired until he knew Hyrule would have more money, and paying him wouldn't be a burden.

He stretched his arms and spent some time alone in his rooms, just relaxing on the bed and thinking about Verla. Now that she wasn't in his face and talking against Zelda, he felt remorseful. She was probably terrified, feeling trapped and uncertain. Her money would have been absorbed by Theo's estate as a dowry. Her parents would kick her out (they liked Link well enough when he worked for them, but this was unforgiveable), and what would happen to the … to his son? His daughter? His breath hitched.

What would the child's fate be, if it was his? Would he or she have to fight Ganondorf? Or would his child know peace? He felt a keen sense of panic, for a child he didn't even know, for a child that may not even be his.

He needed a distraction. He got up and went to Zelda's room.

\

Zelda looked up when she heard the knock; there was really only one person who could get to her door and still knock. She put her book down after folding the corner of one page to mark her place, and stood and opened the door.

Link offered her a brave smile, but she could see the worry in his face.

"Come in," she said, standing aside. "Please." He did, and she shut the door, then took one of his hands in hers. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I…" he cleared his throat.

"How was your visit with her?"

They sat down at the table, and Zelda scooted her chair next to his, holding his hand tightly.

"It went… I mean, I did it, I guess. She and I talked a little. She wanted me to…" he sighed in frustration. "She wanted me to rescue her again, to save her from everything. And I can't do it, I won't do it."

Zelda nodded and squeezed his hand.

"And then… I dunno, she wants me to go to the blessing, and she threatened to tell you about it." He smirked.

Zelda nodded. "She said the same to me, about the blessing."

"Well, we'll go if she invites us, I suppose."

"Only if you want." Zelda touched his face, and Link tilted his head slightly into her hand, mimicking what she'd done that morning.

"Why are you so nice," he half-asked with a chuckle, putting his hand over hers.

"Because… because we're friends, I hope."

He put his arms around her in what was becoming their habit, and she kissed him. They kissed for a while, taking their time. Link didn't want to rush into this one, and he didn't want to push Zelda into anything. He really thought that she could be pressured by him.

Her knee was digging into his thigh and the back of the chair was pinching one of his arms, so they finally pulled away from each other.

"We have two options," Zelda muttered. "We can stop, or we… can…"

"It's up to you," he said. "What do you want to do?"

She smiled. "Well, I certainly don't want to stop." She blushed and looked down.

"Then…"

They both turned and looked at the bed. Zelda stood up, straightening her gown. "Come on," she said quickly, moving fast before she changed her mind.

Link jumped up and followed her, and they stopped at the huge bed, neatly made. Zelda sucked in a deep breath, then sat down, scooting over to make room for him. Link pulled off his shoes and climbed up with her, looking at her. Now they moved hesitantly. She kept him against the headboard, and he waited for her to make the moves, for her to start.

Zelda snuggled up next to him and put one hand on his shoulder, kissing him. He put an arm around her waist and left the other one at his side. She put her hand over his, and slowly, as if testing the waters, she put one leg on the other side of him, hiking up the skirt of her gown to do so. Link watched her, looking at her legs, and he looked at her face again. Zelda backed away and looked down at herself.

"Is this… awkward? I apologize."

"Don't apologize. I'm up for anything." The beer, of course. He hesitated, then took her by the hips and pulled her over his lap, looking up at her. "What do you want?"

"I'm not too heavy?"

"Farore's breath, Zelda. You're light as a bird."

"You wouldn't say anything otherwise," she countered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"True, I wouldn't." He grinned and leaned up, kissing the base of her neck, which gave her a good shiver. They sat like that for a little while, Link's lips at her throat and her hands creeping up into his hair. He dipped his head down to the start of her chest, pressing his nose against the skin. He could hear her heart pounding, and he kissed the skin between her breasts.

Zelda fumbled at his shirt, undoing the buttons one by one by feel. He kissed her again, in the same spot, and he moved his hands down from her hips to her legs, still exposed, her gown's skirt pooled between them and on the bed. He touched her calves, lightly rubbing them with his fingers, tickling a little bit behind her knees. She giggled.

"Is this too far?" he asked, tilting his head up so that his chin was at her sternum.

"I don't know," she answered, touching his hair.

"If you want me to stop, you just say something, okay?"

"I know, I know." She glanced at the door, and he did as well.

"Expecting someone?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"No. I just… I gave all the maids a holiday today, and I keep forgetting, so I keep expecting them to come through the door…"

"Do you want to move to my room?"

"… No. I want to stay here." Link's room was safe, but a little too safe. She liked the danger of someone possibly being on the other side of the door at any second.

"Okay."

She went back to undoing his shirt and pulling it out of his pants, Link moving his arms to help her pull the shirt off, but it wouldn't budge at the cuffs until they realized there were buttons there to be undone, and they both laughed a little over it. She looked him over, touching his chest, and Link pulled her down a little, kissing her neck again, pressing them together. She was warm and heavy (not too heavy, just better comfort than a pillow), and he was rising for her. How far could they go? How far would she allow?

He put a hand down to her leg again, starting at the smooth calf, then moving his fingers up to the back of her knee, and then, slowly, he moved his hand around to the inside of her thigh, his fingertips barely past the kneecap, drumming the skin lightly. Zelda pulled back to look at him, tilting her head. Link sighed and ran his fingers back through his hair, stopping.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Sorry, I just…"

She climbed off him and sat next to him on the bed. "You're thinking about her?"

"Well. She was kinda my first. I'll always think of her a little bit."

Zelda looked away, pulling her gown down to her feet. "Am I so inferior that you think of her?" She sounded so sad and hurt.

"Why the hell would you ever think that? I'm always gonna think about her, a little bit, once in a while. I still care about her."

"But she hurt you!"

"I know she did. I know! But please, don't think I only think of her because I don't find you good enough. You're beautiful, you're intelligent, you're compassionate…"

Zelda looked away, curling her arms around her knees. Link sat up and pulled her close, hugging her from behind and kissing her neck.

"Don't worry about why I think of her. Please, believe that she means nothing to me now. Nothing but heartache."

Zelda put her hand on his and sighed. She pulled it free and kissed the palm, and after a long pause, she put it on one breast over her gown. Link squeezed gently. Her breasts were smaller than Verla's (something he would not confess out loud any time soon) but he liked the way it fit neatly in his palm, the nipple growing hard.

He kissed the back of her neck again, pulling her towards his lap, squeezing her breast again.

"If we… whatever we do…" She cleared her throat. "You won't be calling me Verla or anything, will you?"

"No, of course not." He kissed her cheek, pulling her back against his chest. Again, she started lifting her dress, directing his free hand to her thigh.

"Tell me what to do?" he asked sheepishly, over her shoulder.

"What?" She turned to look at him.

"Ahh… never mind."

She laughed. "I don't know what to say, I don't…"

"Should we stop?"

"Maybe."

He let her go, frustrated but patient. Zelda turned around and hugged him close. "I'm sorry," she murmured in his ear.

"It's fine, it's fine." He rubbed her back, his eyes closed. "It's for the best."

"I want to, I… I've just never done this before, so…"

"It's _fine._" He kissed her cheek.

"Can we just… sit for a while?"

"Of course we can."

She kissed him, curled up at his side. He kissed her back, touching her hair and her cheek, rubbing her shoulder, touching her but wary of her boundaries. She closed her eyes, leaning back against the pillows with her cheek going to his shoulder.

"We're very different, aren't we? Her and I."

"Of course you are," he assured her. "I've told you how."

"Is she… a better kisser than me?"

"No, you're about equal."

"Oh."

He shook his head. "Fine, you're an amazing kisser. You make me weak-kneed. I dream of your kisses at night."

"Alright, you're toeing the line."

He kissed her, and she kissed back.

"I do prefer you, though."

"Well, I would certainly hope so."

"Gotta keep a roof over my head, right?"

She swatted him on the shoulder, and Link laughed.

"You're so cruel," she said with a smile.

They started kissing again, moving a little bit quicker through the steps, his hands lifting her skirt up to her knees and then one hand moving cautiously between her thighs. She jumped slightly when he reached the end. "Oh—"

He pulled her against him and kissed the top of her breasts as he started moving his hand rhythmically. Zelda sighed and relaxed, her body twitching in time with her heartbeat.

"Don't stop" she urged him.

He buried his face between her breasts, licking the sweat from between them. She shuddered and grabbed his hair, gripping it so tightly she threatened to pull it out. She put her cheek against his, half-curling up on top of him, and she bit the edge of his ear. Link groaned and moved faster, and Zelda's hips spasmed as she exhaled with a little cry of excitement, slumping against the bed pillows. She lay there, panting, her grip slack.

"Oh Din," she whispered.

"Am I still so terrible?" he asked her quietly, touching her hair with his dry hand.

"I guess you can stay," she managed. He laughed. Zelda looked at him with her eyes barely open, her face flushed from the excitement. "What about… you?"

"Me… well. What did you want to try? I mean, go ahead. Whatever you want to try."

She kissed him, getting rougher with him, their tongues touching. While they kissed, she reached down to undo his breeches, unlacing them clumsily.

"Do you want help?" he asked her.

"No, let me do this myself. I want to figure it out."

"Okay." He kissed her neck as she got his pants undone, and reached inside and took hold of him. Link shivered. She toyed with him, squeezing, stroking, listening to his reactions to judge what he liked.

"Not so hard, not so hard," he whispered, touching her hand and adjusting her grip. She kissed him as she touched him, but soon her wrist was sore and she had to stop.

"I'm sorry," she said, embarrassed. "I guess…"

"It's fine, I promise." He kissed her and they stopped, Zelda pulling her hand away.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I think I needed that."

"Mm." He kissed her neck, holding onto her.

"I should probably clean up," she muttered, stretching her legs. "Oh, but…"

"I can help you, if you want?" Link offered.

She nodded, and they climbed up off the bed, Link tying his pants back together and Zelda moving slowly, her knees weak. She sat on the edge of the bed while he pulled his shirt back on and collected the tub for hauling snow. Zelda pointed him to the nearest secret door that led outside, and he began carrying bucketloads of it up the stairs and dumping it into the tub. When the tub was half full, he stopped and worked on the fire, adding progressively bigger bits of wood until it was burning away merrily, melting the snow and heating it for bath water.

When Zelda felt she could move, she stood and went into the bathroom, testing the water with her wrist, and then she glanced at Link. "Thank you," she said, and there was something in her tone that was a little dismissive.

"Oh, did you… not want …"

She blushed. "Well, it's… I'm usually only… in front of women, so…"

He stepped towards her and touched her hips, and gathered up the bottom of her gown in his hands while looking into her face, then he started to pull it up and expose her.

"Stop," she commanded. He did so immediately, dropping the fabric and stepping back. "I thank you, but I would like a bit of privacy for now, if that is alright?"

"Of course," Link said, shaking his head a little and blinking hard. "I'm sorry about that."

She kissed him and patted his cheek. "Go on then. I'll come see you about having dinner when you're done."

"Yes." He nodded and headed to his room through the secret door, also wanting to change.

Zelda stripped off her nightgown and tested the water again. It was almost perfect, so she climbed in. She sat there for a few minutes, soaking in the tub, and felt a cold chill. She'd gone too far today, that was for sure. She'd promised herself for a long time that they would just be friends—affectionate friends, but nothing more, and now here she was, and she had wanted him to take her clothes off, she wanted him to bow before her and kiss her where he was touching earlier, and it would be so easy to get him to do it. She almost gave him the command for it several times, knowing that he would obey almost helplessly.

Her guilt at these thoughts had made her send him away, to work on himself alone in his room (which wasn't fair, she knew), and there she was, sitting alone in her bathtub and touching herself while pretending it was his hand again.

She stopped, feeling raw and bothered, and soaked in the tub until the water turned cold and the fire died, then climbed out and left it for later. She dried off with a towel, briskly ruffling it through her hair, and dressed in a clean gown and robe before walking through the secret tunnel to Link's room.

He was laying under the covers of his bed, sleeping (or dozing) on his side. Zelda climbed up next to him and gently woke him, touching his arm.

"Link?"

He mumbled and stirred, turning over and looking at her sleepily, then pulling the covers up over his bare chest. "Dinner already?" he asked.

"I… I wanted to apologize."

His sleepy smile went to perplexed quickly. "Why's that?"

"I… thought about using the power on you… this afternoon. And I apologize."

"You did?" he asked, intrigued. Zelda sighed.

"I know. I didn't really mean to, but I was sorely tempted to do so, and I wanted you to know."

Link considered this news, then shrugged. "Well, that's fine."

"It's… what?" She leaned back, away from him.

"Yeah, I mean… I dunno, it's kind of… it makes my heart pound, when I think about it. It's exciting."

"It is?"

"Yeah, sure." He sat up and put his arm around her, pulling her close and kissing her. She kissed him back, then looked into his face. "I mean… is that all you wanted?" He took her hand in his.

"Well… and… you didn't find any satisfaction, so…"

He shrugged. "It's alright."

"You might think so, but I don't."

"I took care of it," he admitted. "It's not a big deal."

She smiled and looked away, embarrassed. He touched the tip of her chin and turned her head back, smiling at her.

"So… what did you want to do?"

She undid her robe and shook it off, and hesitated at her gown. "Well…"

Oh man; he definitely didn't have the energy. He put out a hand to stop her. "Come on now. I'm tired, and I'm sure you are, too."

"A little," she admitted.

"Why don't we just kinda… lay down, relax, and we can talk or something for a bit, alright?"

"Alright. That sounds fine." She started to climb under the covers with him, but he stopped her, and then angled himself out of the bed to retrieve his underthings, pulling them on under the covers.

"Okay, try now."

She snuggled up next to him and they kissed a few times.

"How was your bath?"

"It was good. Very relaxing."

"Good, good."

She rested her cheek on his chest, and he kissed her forehead, one arm around her shoulders. They lay there in silence, Link half-dozing again, Zelda for once not thinking about the dozens of little problems. After an hour or so, Zelda pulled away from Link, and he woke up to watch her, to see what she was doing. She climbed out of bed and pulled her robe on.

"Zelda?"

"It's probably getting close to dinner time," she said quietly. "We should head downstairs."

"Of course." He sat up. "I'll meet you down there?"

She smiled at him over her shoulder. "Sure."

\

They ate dinner together, and Link was intrigued by the subtle change in Zelda's personality once they were around the other castle residents. Her back straightened and her face was, for the most part, calm and expressionless, and she paid no one special attention unless she knew of some important event in their lives that was coming up or had just passed. She asked a soldier how his sister was doing with her new baby, consoled a maid on her cancelled engagement (and promptly offered her a second day off, but the maid told her she preferred the distraction), things like that. There were few of them in the castle for dinner on account of the holiday she'd granted, and dinner was a small affair; they were still treading on eggshells, waiting for the accountants to finish the… counting and come up with the grand total of the castle's earnings.

Link glanced at Zelda now and again, reconciling this calculated and controlled woman with the one he'd had writhing on the bed a few hours back. And then he promptly engrossed himself in the food, and thought about checking the stable inventory as a distraction. He had to make sure that they were mucked out and had the bridles and the saddles repaired and…

Zelda sipped her water (in great supply with the snow) and spoke little. She was devoting herself mentally to their finances, trying to see (shouldn't have bought that fabric) about how much they could have brought in (should've let Verla have it) through the craft fair taxing, the table rent (what if it is his child?) for the craft fair, the charge for safe space, if the families donating items wished to have them kept in the castle(did she teach him how—), as well as stable rent for horses (was she gone yet), space rent and guards for carriages that stayed on castle grounds (he didn't do anything with her while visiting, right?), the taxes from the inns and hotels and taverns and shops that were in town (did he?), and hopefully some of the people were able to sell enough to pay on the annual tax she had written.

All in all, she was hoping for a good haul, but she wasn't quite ready to think of an official number. She would rather not set her heart on something and be disappointed when faced with the reality. She finished her meal of stew and dry bread and stood, as did her company, and thanked them for their time. Surely the accountants would have made progress and would have numbers for her, and she wanted to see how they were. She also wanted to keep tabs on the recordkeeper. His increasing dementia had her worried for Hyrule's history.

She headed down to the dungeon area, not even looking back. Link hesitated, then went back to eating his dinner. If she had wanted him to follow, she would have said something, surely. When he finished he decided to head out to the stables, to check on all the things he'd thought about earlier.

The stables were cleaned, which was a comfort, and it looked for the most part as if their supplies were in order. They were running a little low on hay, but that was to be expected in this sort of weather. He would ask Brind or one of the others to see if they could find any for sale in one of the surrounding farms (doubtful). He went to Epona and rubbed under her chin. She pulled away from him, snorting, until he held out a sugar cube he'd gotten at the table, and then she ate it greedily, crunching it with her teeth and bumping her forehead with his. He kissed her nose and checked the sore spot. It was healed up, and he was glad for it.

He brushed her mane and tail out, working in silence, falling in the rhythm of the familiar steps. Epona tossed her head this way and that, and thumped her hooves gently on the floor in appreciation. He finished and stroked her neck, smiling. "Maybe we'll go for a ride tomorrow, huh?"

Epona snorted and sniffed at his hand. He thought back, back to when he tried to leave, walking slowly through the fog and wary of anything coming out, coming after him (but Zelda was the only thin—person that did, that time). He lingered at Epona's side, still holding the brush and standing still in the middle of the stable. What if it was his?

He finally snapped out of it when Epona bumped his shoulder, and he jumped and looked at her in surprise, forgetting where he was for a few seconds. He wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her for a little bit, while she snorted gently at him, and then he let go. What was there to do now, but to return to the castle?

\

Zelda stopped at the room of records first, glancing in. The recordkeeper and the apprentice had both gone home to visit family (and she wondered if the recordkeeper would return), and the room was quiet and still. She looked around a little, pausing to look over some papers that were left out. One was one that the recordkeeper had been… writing? on. It was covered in nonsensical scribbles, ink splatters (the recordkeeper used to be very neat. He had to.) and occasionally a recognizable letter. An 'M' or an 'S'. Zelda sighed hopelessly and looked through some of the other papers. She stopped at a marriage certificate, looking it over with her heart pounding.

Indeed, it was the certificate for Theo and Verla's wedding. She read carefully, excited to know Verla's last name, to see if she could find any more information—

Where her last name had been was a splotch of ink, soaked through from the papers atop of it.

"Din's teeth," Zelda snarled, forcing herself to set the certificate back down gently. She'd forgotten to ask Link what her name was, so perhaps she would do so later.

She left the room and went to the accountants' room, but, as she'd forgotten with the record room, they had also left on holiday. She snooped a little bit, looking through the record books, but they hadn't been in all day to work on the totals, and the money was in the vault.

Zelda shook her head and, feeling annoyed and useless, she decided to go try some more reading for a little while. She made it to her rooms (empty; her maid had finally gone home to have dinner with family) and picked up the book she'd been reading, flipping through the pages idly until she got to where she had left off. But she barely started when she realized she had no patience for the book, and she closed it, muttering a curse under her breath.

She stayed in her chair, drumming her fingers on the book and thinking about Hyrule's problems, her problems, and occasionally she devoted a few minutes of thought to Verla, wondering if, if the child was Link's, would she be coming around all the time demanding money, demanding resources, things like that. Would Theo kick her out?

Zelda couldn't bear the idea of Link having to deal with this mess, even if it… if it was his own doing. Why hadn't he worn something or stopped himself?! Did he want this to happen?

Did she?

Zelda sat, simmering in suspicion and worry until she thought she heard Link's room door open and close, and she immediately got up and walked determinedly through the secret hallway to his room, opening the door.

Link looked up in alarm, and relaxed when he saw her. He would never get used to that damn door being there, or her using it. "Hey," he called out, unbuttoning his coat.

Zelda shut the door behind her and walked over to him. "Link, I have some concerns," she said immediately.

"Uh… okay. What about?" He offered her a little smile, but when he saw her serious face, he stopped. "What is it?"

"Do you think that… that Verla tricked you? That maybe it really isn't yours and that she wanted to… to pressure you? To trap you?"

He sighed heavily. "Zelda, it's a possibility it could be mine. If it isn't, it isn't. Why are you worried about this?" He touched the frown line between her eyebrows with one finger, and Zelda pulled back. "Seriously, why are you worried?"

She shook her head. "Because I don't want to see you tricked. I don't want to see you in a tight spot where you can't escape." She touched his face, her hands at his cheeks. "I don't want her to have any part of you. Not even your thoughts."

Link put his hands on her shoulders. "Zelda. Calm down." He pulled her close, so that they were pressed together, and he wrapped his arms around her. "It's alright. I promise you, it's alright. I'll figure it out, one way or another, okay?" He kissed her forehead, and Zelda took deep breaths, nodding slowly.

"You're right," she whispered. "You're absolutely right."

"What are you freaking out about all this for? You're worrying over it worse than I am." He looked at her, his eyes full of concern.

"I just…" she sighed. "I suppose that I don't care much for the idea of… of her still having some way to get to you. I want you to myself." She swallowed hard against the last part, but she held his gaze.

Link smiled a little, then kissed her cheek. He had to; he suspected Zelda wouldn't appreciate it if he started laughing.

"You're a possessive one, aren'tcha?" he asked, his lips at her ear.

"Am I?"

Link grinned a bit. "You almost sound a little jealous or something."

She pushed at him, frowning. "Don't say that. What do I have to be jealous of?"

He shrugged. "Well, she was my first, she might be pregnant with my child, she's got bigger… accounts than the country…" Good save, he thought. Until he looked at Zelda's face and saw that she was very pale.

"The point is, she has all that stuff, but you've still got me, and it's the one thing that she can't have back. So you don't need to be jealous."

"I'm. Not. Jealous," she reiterated, the tightness in her voice a rattlesnake warning.

Link completely missed it, thinking he could defuse the situation with jokes and laughter, even as Zelda pulled away from him. "Then don't act like a mad housewife, okay? Verla's got nothing on you, she hasn't beat you at anything."

She was starting to feel calm again as he took her hands in his, and smiled. "Though you are pretty cute, all green like that."

She pulled her hands from his and slapped him hard across the face, her brows knitted in concentration. Link staggered and put a hand to his cheek, then turned and looked at her as his shock boiled into anger.

"STOP CALLING ME JEALOUS!" she shouted at him, tears in her eyes. She blinked hard as she glared at him, and he was glaring back.

"Get out," he said quietly, pointing to the door.

Zelda hesitated, but the look on his face was one that would not take to an argument, and she managed to storm off, back through the secret entrance. Link touched his jaw carefully. It stung, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. But he was done with her for the night; he wanted to cool his heels in case she tried to come back and shout at him some more. He would let Zelda muddle alone over her wounded pride and anger.

And jealousy.

\

Zelda spent the next day doing her usual work. The accountants were back and were optimistic of having a total for her by the end of the day, and so she left them alone. The recordkeeper and his apprentice were back also, and she went right to the apprentice and showed her the damaged marriage certificate, and the apprentice nearly burst into tears with fear. Zelda was feeling sympathetic (if the apprentice had been a man, she probably wouldn't have), and she told her to see about requesting a new copy from Termina's record room. The apprentice nodded and smiled at her in gratefulness.

After that was taken care of, Zelda went out for a walk in the castle grounds to clear her head. She paused at the stables, but went on to her own. Either Link or Brind had said something; the horses were groomed, and Cerosa danced a little in her stall, eager to be out and about. Zelda prepared her herself (she'd seen it done enough times that she had an idea of what to do) and took her out for some exercise through the garden maze, though that wasn't too much fun because she spent most of her childhood out in the damned thing.

But she wandered anyway, able to find the damaged shrubbery where Ganondorf's minions had simply burned holes through it when they got frustrated. They'd been growing those shrubs out for years, long before she was born, and the work was undone. Cerosa walked slowly through the maze. In Zelda's eyes, it would be a long time before she could afford to have it repaired. It broke her heart to see these pieces of her childhood so thoughtlessly destroyed. It was cold, and she wore a heavy old coat with a fur collar, which was getting a little ratty in spots.

She stayed out in the cold until her cheeks felt numb, and then she went inside for a warm bath, giving directions that her dinner was to be sent to her rooms. She didn't want to run into Link at all, as she now felt rather embarrassed at her misplaced anger and, yes, jealousy. But she couldn't see him, not just yet. She couldn't bear to face him for a day or two. She washed her hair herself in the tub, remembering with a sting of guilt how Link had hauled all that snow up and down the stairs for her after he'd

She sunk her head in to rinse her hair, (and he didn't ask for anything in return, he never did for anything) and when she popped back up, she started to try to comb it, working carefully at each tangle until it was defeated, (should go see him) her hair hanging over the edge of the tub. Perhaps she would have to cut it soon(can't wait)?

When that was done, her maid pulled out the trundle bed and pulled back the covers from both, whisking a heating pan over the queen's bed and then, quickly, her own, before putting it back in the fire.

"Good night, Your Majesty," the maid called, bowing when Zelda reappeared in her robes and night gown (a clean one).

"Good night," Zelda returned, though she was thinking of sitting up with a book for a while. She ended up doing so, even as her maid turned in (she had long days, after all). Zelda went out into her sitting rooms instead, so as not to disturb the girl.

After twenty minutes of reading the same paragraph over and over, she gave up and carefully closed the book, setting it down with barely a thud. Now or never, she thought.

\

Link spent the next day in the stables, giving them a thorough cleaning ("Didn't we just do that last week?" one of the stable hands whispered to his coworker, who replied, "do you want to tell _him _that?") and looking over the horses, checking for injuries, loose shoes, fly bites and all the other little maladies that could be headed off. He thunked around, muttering swears under his breath when he couldn't find something, and did not seem to notice or care (in fact, seemed to prefer) that he was left alone.

Epona could tell that he was pretty peeved about something, so she kept to herself. She nuzzled his shoulder affectionately when he came near, but didn't hassle him for treats, and stood patiently, trying to keep out of his way when he checked for mouse nests and any wood damage that could result in splinters. When he finished, he hugged her around the shoulders and kissed her nose.

"Maybe you should be my only girl, huh?" he said to her, and those were his only words for most of the day. She snorted in appreciation.

He ate dinner alone in his room, not wanting to face Zelda. His face hadn't bruised or anything, but he was still feeling quite prickly, and he just wanted to eat and then crawl into bed.

So he did just that, laying in bed on his side and staring out the windows, thinking about how, if he'd known this was where things were going, he probably would've just not gone for women at all.

He tensed when he heard the door open, but he didn't move or say anything. He waited instead, still staring at the window.

Zelda stumbled a little; at this rate she was certain he was awake, but he didn't move or show any signs of hearing her, so she continued on. She hesitated at one side of the bed, then slowly pressed down on the mattress, climbing on and settling in next to him, slowly.

Link sighed. Obviously, she was here to stay. She pressed herself against his back, wrapping her arms up around him.

"What," he finally asked, though it didn't come out so harshly.

Zelda jumped, but she steeled herself. "I've come to apologize," she said quietly.

"Oh." This softened Link's demeanor considerably.

"Yes. I want to apologize for hitting you. I didn't want to hurt you, but… I did it because you are right. I am jealous of her."

Link pulled away slightly, but only to roll over and face her. Zelda managed an embarrassed smile.

"I'm sorry too, that I didn't stop when you asked. I shouldn't've goaded you."

Zelda smiled and touched his face, and he kissed her palm.

"I'm jealous of the time she got to spent with you."

He sighed. "If you must know, it was a lot like this. A lot of sneaking around."

Zelda hadn't considered that. "Are we sneaking around?"

"Well I assume you don't outright tell your maids, 'oh, I'm going to go stay in Link's rooms for the night'."

"Hm."

He touched her hair and was surprised when it was wet. "Another bath? You do that a lot, huh?"

"Well. I like to be clean."

He nodded, running his fingers through her hair.

"So… you snuck around a lot?" she asked quietly, as they were staring into each other's faces.

"Well, yeah. The other two guys and then, you know, her dad had a thing about thieves, and she was definitely a prized part of the farm. Cus she was set to inherit it… before it closed, it was worth a good deal. Probably like… I dunno, two hundred thousand or something."

Zelda sucked in a little breath of anger. She did not like the math that was going through her head. The tax off the ranch was five times more than what they had in the vaults (before the accountants finished counting, which, seeing as they were still working on it, she hoped was a good sign). And she wondered if she would even be able to touch the money now; if it had been absorbed into Theo's accounts, then the closed farm would have no value and they would be owed nothing.

Again, an evil thought popped into her head. How much was Verla willing to pay to avoid Theo finding out about the (possibly) true father of her child? Again Zelda tamped it down; she did not want to cross that line. She would send in a formal request for Theo to pay the amount, or risk having the land seized (weak threat indeed). She hoped that despite their disagreement, Theo would want the right thing done.

Link watched Zelda's face, wondering if she was falling asleep, or at least getting so tired she was having a hard time focusing. Her brow was furrowed, as was her norm when she was thinking, and one hand was idly twirling a lock of hair.

He took her hands out of her hair and kissed the fingertips, and Zelda looked at him as if she'd remembered that he was there. She smiled a little and moved closer, and Link lowered their hands to kiss her. They kissed for a few minutes, but Link was getting a cramp in his neck from their awkward angle, so he let go of her hands and rolled over onto his back, and Zelda scooted up to crouch over him. She put a hand to his chest as they kissed, and he put his hand over hers, the other one going up to her cheek.

They stopped for a minute to look at each other, and Link stroked Zelda's cheekbone with one thumb, looking at her with a little smile. "You're moving a little fast, aren't you?"

"I'd like to think not," she replied quietly. She rested herself carefully on top of him, and they looked at each other.

"Let's take it slow," Link murmured. "Okay?" Zelda frowned a little but consented with a nod, moving away and resting her head on the other pillow. "You are staying?" he asked in surprise.

"Well, my bed's probably cold by now, and I get up earlier than the maid anyway, so she won't notice if I'm missing."

"Hm." Link shrugged a little, then moved to pull her close. "If you're sure, then."

"Of course I'm sure," she whispered. "You're all I can think of, some nights. I lie awake and… I think about everything you've done for my country."

"You do that a lot, do you?" he asked.

"Well, I have a hard time sleeping some nights. Like… when you were gone."

He nodded in understanding.

"Try not to strike anyone else for a while, alright?"

"I'll try."

They started kissing again, but every time Zelda tried to take it further, Link hesitated, so after a while she finally decided to just fall asleep, her cheek on his chest, while Link sat up and thought about his possible child.

\

At one point in the night, Zelda's maid, Tilly, woke up having to relieve herself, and she walked past the bed without so much as a thought, concentrating on the effort of actually making one foot go past the other. On her way back, though, she realized that she could not hear the queen's breathing, and the covers of the bed looked curiously flat. She stopped cold and looked at the bed, squinting in the hopes of the queen suddenly materializing.

Nothing.

Panic and dread rose in her guts as she wheeled and headed out to the main room, spying her book on the table (closed) and the empty chair (pushed in. No signs of a struggle, she went somewhere willingly).

Tilly popped her head out the door and the guards jumped from half-asleep to attention.

"Have either of you seen the queen recently?"

"No, not since you guys went to bed," one of the guards answered with a shrug. "What's up?"

"She's not in here!" she hissed.

"Is she taking a bath?"

"No, I was just in there and she isn't."

The guards looked at each other in concern, then one left his post to follow her into the rooms.

"Are the windows latched tight?" he whispered.

"Yes, of course." Tilly went to be sure, and she peeked outside, seeing only unmarked and melting snow.

"She has to be in here somewhere, then."

She immediately went to the tapestry and the hidden door. Someone had been using it; the wood barely creaked as she entered, and little dust was kicked up as she rushed through the short hall.

She tensed at the other end of the door, suspecting where it led, but she had to know the queen was safe before anything else, and she opened the door.

Indeed, Link was asleep on his back, and curled up at his side, one of his arms around her shoulders, was the queen. Tilly sighed in relief. At least she was safe, but she really shouldn't be in there. From somewhere behind her right shoulder she heard the guard chuckling, and she swatted at him before turning back.

One of Link's eyes gleamed, barely open and staring at her from the bed. When he knew the maid knew he was awake, he opened both of them and sat up slightly. Zelda didn't even stir.

Tilly bowed her head in deference, and Link nodded in response. Then, in silence, she turned away and headed back to the queen's room.


	10. Chapter 10

Zelda woke up and frowned, examining her surroundings. It took her a few minutes to recall that she'd fallen asleep in Link's bed, and that was, apparently, where she'd stayed for the night. She looked over at him, and he grumbled and mumbled, rolling over and opening his eyes and staring at her. She smiled.

"Good morning."

"Mm." He rolled onto his stomach and buried his face in the pillow. She reached over and touched his hair, running her fingers through it. The rest of the castle wouldn't be active for another hour or so, she knew. She moved closer and put one hand on his back, kissing his cheek. Link lifted his head and turned to look at her, one eyebrow rising up.

"What is it?" he asked sleepily.

She shrugged. "Nothing, really."

"Hm." He stretched out, and Zelda straightened up, her heart pounding. She started to pull up her gown as Link stared.

"What are you doing?" he asked, asking it because he was sure of what the answer was but he hoped it was different.

"I…" she grew bright red, embarrassed to even ask him.

He sat up and took her gown, holding it down. "Don't. You never know when someone might walk in."

They both looked at the door, as if someone was walking in just then, but no one did.

Zelda looked back to him strangely. "Are you… expecting someone?"

"No, but… don't uh… compromise yourself."

"Then…" She started to straddle him again, and as badly as he wanted her, he stopped her.

"Don't. Just. Don't."

"Why not?" she asked, offended. "Why aren't I good enough?"

"It's not that you're not good enough!"

"Is it because I'm not her?!"

He sighed. "Well, in a way, yeah."

Zelda was shocked; she'd expected some other sort of frantic explanation.

"But can I at least explain myself?" Link said quickly, while she was still processing this.

After some consideration, she nodded and settled down on the bed, but her stern countenance told him she would brook no stumbling.

Link took a deep breath, thought for a minute, then looked at her and began.

"You're alike in the fact that you're both very important to me. You're both very much a huge influence in my life, for multiple reasons, and I care deeply about both of you.

But, the difference is that Verla meant so much to me, but in the grand scheme of things her only sphere of influence was in the ranch. Once you left it, she was just another person, whose problems stayed kinda… contained. But my whole world then was the ranch, so… you see, it changed."

"Now that I'm here with you, living in the castle… your influence, your problems, and your decisions are huge. They can change the country, maybe the world. Even if I ran to escape you, I'd have to go to a whole 'nother country, and even then I'd have to choose one where you weren't allianced with 'em. So… when you ask me to…"

He struggled for a word here, not sure which one would fit without being too forward.

"… to do those things with you, that's why I'm reluctant. Because Verla, I could get away with making a few mistakes with her. At least, I used to. But with you, something that major like getting you knocked up or something can… it might look badly upon you, or something. It'll reflect on you, on Hyrule, and I don't want to ruin that."

Zelda was very still, her hands folded in her lap as she thought over what he said. Link was tense as he waited for her thoughts, but he hoped she saw reason and his stance and justification.

"I understand," she said finally, and he relaxed. She smiled at him, a brief thing, and then looked down at her hands. "It is true. I haven't been thinking of the throne as much as I should have, I guess. Everyone's been telling me to find a proper suitor and marry him, but at least I'm able to put it off with our financial situation."

Link felt the cold gnawing panic in his stomach. She would leave him too, one day, when Hyrule had the money for a wedding. This, too, was temporary. Zelda looked at him and was truly startled to see he was rubbing his eyes.

"Are you alright?" she asked, scooting closer and touching his shoulder.

"Uh, yeah. Just dust or something." He coughed and blinked hard before turning back to her. "Any uh… any suitors you're thinking of?"

She shook her head, nudged up against his side.

"Do you think it'd be a mistake?" she asked quietly. "If we made love?"

He shook his head. "No, of course not. For us, for you and me, no. If you wanted to. But if you fell pregnant… that might be a problem. I can only handle one kid at a time, you know." He tried to make a joke of it, but Zelda didn't respond. She wasn't sure, but she thought there were ways to… prevent a pregnancy from taking hold. But she would research those in private.

\

It was lunch for many of the castle employees. They lurked in the kitchen with their rations, laughing and talking as they ate, the only half hour of their day where they could sit without reprimand from the head of the house (separate from Zelda, of course, though she wouldn't have cared as long as they were doing their work).

"I heard an interesting rumor," said Bets, batting her eyelashes and looking around the table to make sure she had attention.

"Pff, if it's about where Clem lost your engagement ring again…" There was laughter; Bets and Clem, one of the night shift guards, had long been the running joke for their eternal engagement.

Bets waved one hand, used to the mockery. "Oh no no, not about me, but I did hear it from Clem. He says the queen's bed was empty last night."

There was some muttering and head-shaking. Blah blah, the crazy insomniac queen, blah.

"What's she doin', wandering the halls like a ghost?" asked Maddy, laughing.

"Just one hall, a very short one," Bets said with a wink, touching the side of her nose, then leaning in. The rest of the table leaned towards her as she said in a not-really whisper, "the one leading to His Lordship's rooms."

There was some shocked laughter and some eye rolling and again, the muttering. Big deal; people had suspected them for lovers for months.

One man, Dru, realized he was sitting next to Tilly. He nudged her with his elbow. "Hey. You're the queen's maid. What did you see?"

Tilly glanced at him, chewing thoughtfully on her bread while she considered her future at the castle, among other things, very carefully. Finally, she swallowed and shrugged her shoulders. "I haven't noticed anything unusual."

Bets flung her hands up. "Clem said you were the one who told him she was gone!"

Tilly turned her head slightly and looked away, lifting her nose. "If you believe everything Clem says, it's no wonder y'all are still engaged."

There were some low groans and laughs at that, and Bets turned bright red. It was rumored he'd been seen making out with Rinni at the Kerzenacht soiree. Clem denied it, Rinni only grinned when asked, and Bets refused to talk about it.

The table moved on to a new topic.

/

After a fast breakfast (alone in her rooms), Zelda headed down to the accounting room. They'd been expecting her, and a few appeared to have been working all night to calculate. They looked exhausted, but better. She was welcomed in and sat in a comfortable chair at one of the desks, where the head accountant was holding a slip of paper.

"Your Majesty, we are pleased to announce that we have finally calculated the earnings for the craft fair and auction, including the taxes resulting from the project."

Zelda smiled. "Good. Please, how much?"

"Our vault now stands at near 50,000 rupees."

Zelda's face faltered. Only… only 40 was brought in? She was hoping for a far bigger number.

"Are you sure?" she asked politely. Maybe a zero was dropped somewhere…

"We counted thrice, Your Majesty. We are quite sure." The head accountant lost his sunny disposition when he saw Zelda's face, and he cleared his throat. "That also accounts for payments made to counties and villages that require recovery assistance, repair supplies for when the spring returns to begin rebuilding the walls, the hospital bills for Masters Gordin and Dorin Whiteley—

"Hospital bills?" Zelda was puzzled. "How big were those?" She had been feeling better that it had actually been a far larger amount, and most of their debts had been chipped away, but now she was suspicious.

"A month-long stay amounted approximately to eighteen thousand—

"EIGHTEEN THOUSAND?!" she shrieked. "FOR BRUISES?!"

The accountant flinched. The guards outside the door glanced in, curious and alert. The apprentice looked up from where she was trying to refile the books under the recordkeeper's nose. Link winced and looked up from checking inventory in the stables, looked around, then decided it was nothing and went back to work.

"A month-long stay for a broken nose?!" she snapped. "How did the doctor justify this!?"

"It says on the bill they claimed psychological trauma from the attack, and were not comfortable leaving the hospital until they were ready."

Zelda had gone pale with rage, the same anger she'd turned on Link.

"That… that… double-crossing… foolhardy…"

The accountant shrank back.

"I will pay him for the setting of the nose and the first few days of the stay, but nothing more! How could he do this! He's been our family doctor for years—

"Oh, no, Your Majesty. The royal doctor charged nothing. This bill comes from their county doctor."

She held her hand out for the bill without saying a word, and the accountant handed it over. Zelda read carefully, gritting her teeth, and mentally placing the county in Hyrule's map. "This county is too small. They don't have a hospital. Probably slept on a cot in the back of the doctor's house."

She slapped the bill down. "We will not pay it. Grown men should know how to handle themselves against a little scuffle."

"Very well. Also, the bill for Vicereine D'Angrive's stay at the Broad Tree hotel…"

"No. Why in Din's name is she sending that to us?"

"She claims it was for a diplomatic visit, as emissary of Termina."

"I didn't even know she was coming. Refuse it and send it to her husband."

"Yes, Your Majesty." He scribbled quickly on his scratch paper. "Therefore, if we exclude the hospital stay and the diplomatic visit, that brings us to… 65,000 brought in after payments."

"That's better, but not much," Zelda said with a frown. She looked around and them and smiled, all the same. "Thank you so very much for all of your hard work. I appreciate everything you've done for the country. I truly do."

"We are glad to assist you, Your Majesty."

She stood, bowing to them, and left to go back to her rooms. She had some thinking to do, and she wanted privacy.

\

Link found there wasn't much work out in the stables, so he caved and took Epona out for a good walk. She was almost dancing with excitement as he saddled her up and climbed on, walking out of the stable area and towards the open fields. He struggled to keep her at a trot on their way, but once they were there, she took off like a shot, thundering through the snow, even when it almost got up to her chest.

He tried to keep her slowed down, worrying about unseen danger, but Epona ignored his commands, thrashing around in the snow like an excited puppy. Finally, she was calmed down enough to be content with a light canter, kicking up snow with her feet and sucking in the cold air, glad to be out where it was open.

They walked randomly, wherever she wanted, really. They followed the castle ground boundaries outside of the walls, the land looking clean and fresh. That was the comforting thing about farms and ranches. The land could heal, and planting could be tried again if it was a bad crop. Horses and cows and pigs would keep on reproducing. It was sustainable.

The castle, of its stability he was less sure. He turned to look at it now, worrying. What did it depend on? Taxes and import fees, money from exported goods, and the strength of its allied countries. He wondered how savagely the disagreement with Termina was hurting them. Aside from her occasional rant at him, Zelda spoke very little about the country to him, shouldering her burden alone. He hated for her to feel that it was her only choice. Was it?

He sighed, his breath pluming like smoke in the cold. Some day, she would have to find someone to share the burden with, wouldn't she? He figured he would move on after that. Maybe that was why he was so… reluctant. Look at how little good it'd done him last time to get attached. But he loved her—yes, he did, he knew it, and there was no stopping that. If he just never said it, he would probably survive alright when…

He ruffled Epona's mane, and she snorted in delight, turning her head to look at him. They could go anywhere. When he knew the country was truly going to be alright, they could go anywhere.

They traipsed slowly through the snow for a while longer, then Epona, of her own volition, headed to the stables, deciding she was cold. He hopped off when they got to the stables and got her inside, putting some warm blankets over her once the saddle and bridle were off and hung up. Then he led her back to her stall, considering bringing her some warm sweet tea. He would probably have some for himself, if there was any available.

He was happy to discover that indeed there was some prepared, and he took some out to the stables in a bucket, putting little chunks of snow into it to cool it before giving it over to Epona. She drank greedily until the bucket was half-dry, and then he hung it up by a little nail on the inside of her stall for such a purpose. He kissed her nose and smiled at her, before deciding to go back inside and warm up by the fire.

\

Verla went home.

The carriage ride was rough, despite the cleared path to Termina, and she'd had a headache off and on all day. Brought on by the baby, the damned useless lump of flesh inside of her, her last tie to her life of freedom. They had to stop a few times for her to heave in the snow, a useless effort that brought up nothing. Their ride was slow.

Her family greeted her warmly when she returned. Her mother looked much younger and rested from being relieved of the stress of farm life, and her father was growing rotund on the good food that he no longer had to fight the earth for.

Theo was beaming at her and she smiled in surprise to see him there.

"I'm glad you came home before I left again."

"A… again? I thought…"

"Yes, I know, but the king has some very important assignments for me in the northern countries. He wants to work out some mining operations with the Gorons up there, have some treaties with them."

"Oh." Verla tried to smile. This happened a lot when she was in Theo's house. She put one hand to her stomach in discomfort.

"How was the fair?" Theo asked her quickly as he headed to the front hall to get his hat and coat.

"It was good. I guess there was a wild party after the auction, and Her Majesty bought some fabric right under my nose."

"Not a responsible buyer, is she?"

"No. If she keeps up like that she'll run the… the place into the ground." Verla was panting a little trying to keep up with Theo's rapid feet.

"Then all we have to do is wait and pick up the pieces," Theo said quietly.

"Is the king seriously planning it?"

"If he believes my account of our argument, and if you would be willing to tell him about what you saw during the craft fair…" He looked her over and, for a moment, he paused and smiled, touching her cheek. "You're beautiful, you know?"

Verla smiled back. "I love you," she told him.

"I love you. I should be back within a few weeks, Farore willing." He kissed her, then patted his hat onto his head. Verla presumed the carriage was already packed again with his things.

"Have a safe trip!" she called out, but he didn't seem to hear her.

Verla turned and returned to the room with her parents, sitting for a while and refusing food and drink. Even the smells of the smoky fire made her feel a little ill, and after some time she went back outside into the cold, where she felt most comfortable, breathing it in deep into her lungs. She felt too hot all the time now.

They had everything. She got a new dress once a month (depending on social events) and the old ones were set aside, in case she had a girl, to be altered down for her. They had ten magnificent horses in the stable. Her own was a gorgeous caramel color with a dark mane and tail that she'd named Hipponus, though she was no longer riding. She had more jewelry than she could count; when a bracelet lost a stone or an earring's mate disappeared, she would send them off for donation, or have the stones reset into a new piece.

Theo's promotion had come shortly before she got to his house. She'd rented a carriage from the first place that she came to and followed the paths towards Termina, grateful for being able to sit and rest. After a week of travel, they were going slowly and bearing heavily to the right, letting a second carriage that was traveling much faster the other way pass them. Verla looked out of the window, curious, and when she recognized the D'Angrive coat of arms, she shouted and pounded on the walls.

"Driver! Get that carriage to stop!"

He did what he could, and the D'Angrive carriage did halt, but only to tell him they were picking up the future Vicereine D'Angrive.

"That's me!" Verla shouted, and the driver repeated.

The D'Angrive driver chuckled until Verla jumped out of the carriage and slogged over in her torn dress.

"I am the future Mrs. Theo D'Angrive. I demand you take me there at once," she commanded him, holding her shoulders straight.

The driver compared her face to a drawing of who Theo told him was the woman they would be looking for, and when he made the connection, he jumped down from the carriage and hailed her driver.

"I have a trunk in there," she told him, lifting her chin.

"Of course, My Lady. Please, I will take it for you." He opened the door to the carriage and she climbed in, glad for the few minutes to stretch her legs, and he collected her trunk (what was in it to make it so heavy?!) and strapped it on. There was some careful maneuvering to turn it around in the narrow road, but soon they were off, back towards Termina.

A week later, she and Theo were married in an opulent, last minute ceremony, and they made love in the massive bed in their room (or what became their room). He held her close after that and told her he loved her, and he was so glad to finally be with her.

And that was the only time he had a chance to touch her, because suddenly he was very important to the king to negotiate with Hyrule (seeing as he had a Hylian-born wife) and, when that fell through, he was to help make plans for reviving the country with a Terminian leader, should Hyrule fall. It might even be Theo who would be suggested as the leader of this second country.

So he was terribly important, and barely had time to spend with his new wife, always running out the door for luncheons and conferences and meetings and…

And Verla stayed home, alone, and when she started to be sick in the morning she knew she was tied into the family forever, unless the baby was born blond-haired.

And when she realized that it might be Link's child, she prayed that she would be able to start over with him (and she had a little money; she'd kept the trunk of her family's savings shut tight and tucked under their bed), which made her go to the fair, but those hopes were swiftly dashed. How could he be falling in love with that woman? She was so solemn and strange, she had tiny breasts and was basically a column from the front, nothing like herself! Verla would have called witchcraft if she didn't think she'd be beheaded for it.

So now, that she was… home, she went up to her room, wondering how she could have lost him so easily, in such a short amount of time. Not even his baby would bring him back, she feared.

\

"Are you ready for dinner, Your Majesty?"

Zelda looked up from where she'd been staring a hole in the table, thinking. There were several books scattered as well, about finance and budgeting, and strangely, a few on party planning, strategically covering up one on herbalism and fertility.

"Yes, I think I'm ready," she said, smiling at Tilly. "Thank you."

"Did you want to go downstairs, or did you… want to take it in your room?"

Zelda considered. "It might be… nice to have it downstairs with everyone." She did not want to say 'healthier'.

Tilly smiled and nodded her head. "Very good." She left to set the table for dinner.

Zelda stood and looked around the room, not sure what she wanted or needed. After a few minutes, she decided to change, putting on a loose-fitting dress that belted just above the waist. She sat down at her dresser and went through a whole ritual, putting in earrings and combing her hair. The ritual distracted her, in a way that was comforting. When she was done, she stared at herself in the mirror, looking closely at herself. A few small stress pimples, but if she ignored them, they would heal. She tried to recall Verla's face, trying to identify any small similarities or differences between them, comparing herself to the Vicereine. Verla's nose was a little more upturned, her dark eyes brighter, and… more shapely. Zelda finally decided that this liver-chewing was little comfort, and she stood up and left to go downstairs for dinner.

Link appeared from one of the lounge rooms. He'd almost fallen asleep with the sound of the flames and the comfortable chair, so he looked rather rumpled and sleepy when he encountered Zelda.

"Hey," he said with a smile to her, falling in step.

"You look exhausted," Zelda said in his ear. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. It's a good exhausted, you know?"

She smiled. "I'm glad."

"Took Epona out for a ride."

"I'm glad! How is she?"

"She'll be much better, I'm sure. Seemed happier." He glanced at her. "What about you?"

Zelda shrugged one shoulder. "I'd… rather not talk about it right now, I think. I'll just get upset."

He frowned and put a hand on her waist, after looking back and forth. "They calculated the uh… earnings?"

"Yes."

"Less than you hoped?"

"You know, I tried not to … to think of a number, to give myself any ideas or… or wish for a certain amount, but…"

"You still did," he muttered.

"I mean, at least the number they gave me was after all the payouts…" She frowned. "Those idiots that… that you had trouble with, can you believe they wanted us to pay for a month-long stay in a hospital in their county? It doesn't even have one!"

"A month-long stay?" Link asked, confused. "Who did they think they would fool with that?"

"I've no idea! And then that bitch tried to charge us for her hotel stay—" Zelda stopped herself too late; she felt awful about calling Verla that in front of Link, but she'd been on a roll.

"What? Who?" Link stepped back to look at her. "Verla? Verla tried to charge for… do you know how much money she has?!" He exhaled sharply in anger, thinking.

"I told them not to pay it, to send it off to Theo. She tried to bill it as a diplomatic expense. I'm not falling for that."

"I'll pay for it, if they refuse."

Zelda didn't want to insult him, but she said, "You don't have the money. You donated it all to the castle."

"Then everything I earn—

"No. Don't worry about it. We're not paying for it and you're not responsible."

"She's carrying my…"

Zelda cut him off, her hands going over his mouth. "Stop. Just because of that, you can't lay everything on the line for her. It might not even be yours. You have to remember that."

Link kissed her hands, and Zelda wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek to his. She sighed as he rubbed her back. He wanted to kiss her, but there were too many little nooks where someone could be hiding, watching. They shouldn't even be hugging like they were. After another minute or so, he let her go.

"Let's go eat something," he whispered. Zelda nodded her agreement.

\

Dinner was quick but good; deer roasts, potatoes cooked in with the meat and soaking up the flavor, plenty of (vinegary) wine and even some sugared fruits for a dessert.

They were out of flour for now; there would not be bread for some time.

Odelia was there, sitting near Her Majesty's chair, and as the group chatted quietly, she leaned over slightly.

"Your Majesty, the duke in Roldin I told you about…"

Zelda frowned a little. "What about him?"

Link was listening, his eating slowed.

Odelia looked down at her hands. "He wrote to me and said he would like to meet you at some point, if possible…"

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "I told you that I won't be considering anything of the sort for a long, long time. Please tell him that I will contact him when I am ready. You are not to discuss my future any further with anyone but myself."

"Yes, of course." Odelia looked embarrassed and a little worried, and she stared at her plate.

Link said nothing, but continued eating.

\

After dinner, they walked upstairs, Link escorting Zelda on his arm. She wanted to look at her books for a while, and he was considering turning in early. She stopped at her room door and looked at him. "Did you want to stay for a bit?"

"Uh, sure."

They went inside, Zelda glancing briefly at the table where her books had been neatly piled, the important ones on the bottom. Tilly was not in the room at the moment; presumably she was still lingering at the dinner table. Zelda looked around and then kissed him, then she sat down at the table and invited him to join her.

"So," she started with a sigh. "We made a great deal less than I expected. At least, after paying off some of the aid to various communities, purchasing supplies to repair the walls in the spring, importing food, things like that…"

"But… that's good. That means a lot of stuff was taken care of already, so that the money can sit in the vault as is. You have it as savings."

"I suppose… but I still would have liked to have had more."

He nodded and looked around for a bit, while she sat mostly still, thinking.

"It might be too soon to do anything extravagant," she said finally, "but maybe in the spring, after planting…"

Link drummed his fingers. "What about like… racing horses?"

Zelda looked at him in surprise. "Horse racing."

"Yeah, you know. People with prized horses can submit them and… have a grand prize or something, charge entry fees and have bets and stuff."

Zelda thought about it. "Maybe…"

They were sitting in silence for a few minutes, and when Link started to read the titles of the books—

"Does it bother you?"

"What?" He turned to look at her sharply.

"That… when she, when Odelia brought up… the duke she knows."

"Oh. Well… Odelia thinks he'd make a good king, right?"

Zelda sighed. "She keeps emphasizing that he has a great deal of money, so maybe she just wants us to marry to get money for the country, and then…"

"Are you going to?"

She sighed. "I don't know. I wish people would quit asking me."

"Sorry."

She waved it off. Link took her hands in his, touching the knuckles with his thumbs.

"What is it?" she asked, watching his hands. His skin was rough and she thought suddenly of those hands on her and she shivered. Link didn't notice, and he shook his head slightly.

"Nothin'." His face was somber. Some day, someone would ask her. "Uh… you're not putting it off because of… us… are you? If there's an 'us'."

"Isn't there? No, I'm not putting it off. We legitimately cannot afford any sort of major ceremony." She sighed and rubbed her face with one hand, pulling it free of Link's grasp. When she finished, she returned it to his hand. Link stared at her, and then he leaned across the table and kissed her. Zelda squeezed his hands, and they kissed, lingering at each other's lips.

"Not very comfortable at this table, is it?" Zelda hinted. Link chuckled, and they let go of each other. Link considered, looking at her bed, and then the tapestry with the hidden door.

"Is my room better?" he asked.

Zelda considered this. "It is… but…"

Link moved towards her, touching her cheek. He chuckled as he looked at her. "If you want to stay here, that's fine."

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him quite fiercely, pressing her body against his. Link stumbled back a little as he held onto her, kissing her back. They worked their way to the bed, and Link sat down while Zelda climbed onto his lap, kissing him deeply. He fell back onto the bed with her on top, and he ran his hands over the front of her dress and down to her waist sash, fumbling at it, then hesitating.

Zelda sat up and undid it herself, throwing the sash to one side. She started to pull off her dress and Link stopped her, grabbing her hands.

"C… can I do it?" he asked.

"Of course. Please."

Link put his hands on the edges of her dress, pushing it up—

The door opened and Zelda screamed. Link pushed her off and to one side, and flung himself over the opposite edge of the bed, ducking behind it.

"Your Majesty?" Tilly asked in confusion, blinking, her face bright red.

Zelda smoothed down her dress and cleared her throat. "Yes, what is it?"

"The… apprentice recordkeeper has information for you about the Vicereine from Termina. Her name, from the marriage records."

Link frowned to himself. What?

"Oh?" Zelda jumped up immediately. "Good. I will go see her immediately." Zelda found her sash and belted her dress again, quickly, breezing by Tilly. Tilly stared at the ground while the queen passed, and then she glanced towards the bed, where Link was peeking over from the opposite side.

"Sir," said Tilly quietly, bowing her head.

Link cleared his throat and stood up, smoothing his shirt. "Hey."

He rounded the edge of the bed and walked over, pausing at the door near Tilly, who was silent and staring at her feet.

"You haven't… told anyone, right?"

"No, sir, not a soul. But… it's not exactly a secret to everyone."

Link nodded. "Alright. Thank you for your honesty."

Tilly looked down at her shoes once more. Link edged around her, out the door, and going to his own rooms rather quickly. He hoped Zelda would come to see him soon enough, if he wanted to.

\

Zelda walked at a fast clip downstairs, full of energy and adrenaline. Finally! She would be able to pin something to that damned woman, something to put her in her place. They could even work out a deal or something. She had a small smile on her face as she made it to the record room, breezing past the record keeper and going right up to Priscia. Priscia jolted in surprise when she saw her, almost alarmed that something was wrong when the queen zoomed up to her.

"Your Majesty!" she managed to squeak out, quickly, moving back.

"Sorry. I was told you had some information for me?"

Priscia smiled. "Yes, Your Majesty. I do." She cleared her throat and showed her the marriage certificate. "Here's Vicereine D'Angrive's information."

"Yes, excellent. Thank you."

"Also, a note came with it—

"A note?"

"Yes, from the king of Termina."

Zelda frowned when Priscia handed over the scroll. "Thank you. Anything else?"

"Um…" Priscia glanced at the recordkeeper, then to the ground. "No, Your Majesty."

Zelda also looked at the recordkeeper, and sighed. "Priscia."

"Yes?"

"I will see about having you instated as the new recordkeeper shortly. I imagine you will also need an assistant, to get things in order."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you."

"It might not be anyone new. One of the guard perhaps, if you'd be willing."

"We all have to make sacrifices, Your Grace. Whatever help you're willing to give…"

"If you think of someone suitable, let me know?"

Priscia nodded her agreement.

"Thank you again," Zelda said quietly.

"You're welcome, Your Majesty."

Zelda left, and stopped at the accounting room, requesting them to look up the financial earnings for the major ranches in the last few years, specifically one with a particular last name. They nodded in agreement and went to task, while Zelda turned and headed back up to her rooms. She was worried about the note from the king of Termina, looking at the seal. She picked at the wax edges with her thumbnails, stopping dead when she saw that Link was nowhere to be found, and Tilly was sitting by the fire, mending some of Zelda's crocheted stockings.

"Whe…" Zelda forced herself to stop, swallowing hard and looking around. "Hello, Tilly."

"Good evening, Your Majesty," Tilly said, standing and bowing. Zelda nodded in response, glancing again at the pile of books that Tilly had neatly stacked and then ignored. "Master Link returned to his room. I'm sure he's waiting for you there."

Zelda glanced at Tilly, expecting some sort of blackmail attempt, but there was nothing. "Yes, thank you."

She went to her writing desk and cracked the wax seal on the letter, unfurling it.

_To Her Royal Majesty Zelda,_

_I am most saddened to hear about your country's trouble, and the dreadful disagreement between you and Viceroy D'Angrive. I understand that Hyrule is struggling, and this has caused considerable distress that may have you unable to see reason. I am sure that the Viceroy meant no harm unto you and yours, nor insult, but only the brotherly concern that is representative of your neighbor country._

_In short, please reconsider our position in the peace treaty. We would like to be a united front with your country more than anything. If necessary to ease your burden and cement this partnership for many generations, I can provide a list of eligible bach_

Zelda growled a swear under her breath and ripped up the letter. Theo had been running his mouth and making her sound delusional and foolish, of that she was certain. She flung the paper into the fire, and Tilly glanced up at her questioningly, but said nothing.

"I think I will go see Master Link for some time," she said suddenly.

"Of course, Your Majesty."

Zelda adjusted her dress and walked calmly out of her rooms, knocking sharply at Link's door. It took a few minutes, but he answered and raised his eyebrow slightly when he saw her.

"You alright?"

"Yes. Castle business to attend to."

'I figured."

She smiled. "May I come in?"

"Of course. You want a nightcap?"

"Only if there's enough to share."

"Yeah." He shut the door behind her, and Zelda sat down at the table. Link poured them each a small glass of scotch.

"You still have this?" she asked in surprise, looking at it.

"Well, yeah. I wasn't gonna throw it out."

"No, I mean… never mind." She shrugged and smiled at him. They didn't even toast, they just drank.

"We… never did… finish…"

"Technically, we didn't start," Link said quickly, drinking and avoiding her gaze.

"Hm." She rested her cheek on her hand, swirling the last smidge of alcohol around in her glass. "I just want to forget it all," she said quietly.

"What all?"

"The whole mess, from the second he… he showed up, until that moment when I know Hyrule is safe."

"Yeah."

She looked at him. "Link."

"Yeah?"

"You help," she whispered.

He set his glass down and rubbed his hands together, before clasping them together in his lap. "I'm glad," he answered.

She closed her eyes, the little troubled crease again between her brows. "Will you help me now?" she asked him, quickly.

Link took his time, thinking. He already knew the answer. "With whatever you need, yeah."

Zelda stood up and set her glass down firmly. "Come with me."

He stood and waited, watching. Zelda took his hand, and pulled him along.

They went to the bed, and Zelda sat down, stretching out her legs, and naturally he followed. Zelda rolled over to her side, propped up on the pillows, and Link turned towards her, putting one hand on her waist as they began to kiss once more. She overtook him slowly, pushing him down onto the pillows and climbing on top of him.

Link had his hands on her hips and he pulled her close, kissing her neck with urgency, pulling at the collar of her dress to get at her collarbone.

"Careful, don't rip it," she said quietly, undoing the sash around her waist.

"Sorry," he muttered, moving his hands down under the skirt of her dress and up, touching her thighs lightly on his way to her waist, finding the rough material of her corset and stopping.

"The hell is this?" he asked, pulling her dress up outright. Reflexively, Zelda put her hands down to try and stop him.

"It's my… my underthings."

"Were you wearing these last time?"

"I was in my nightgown last time," Zelda responded, folding her arms.

"… can I…" He tried pulling at her dress again, and she sighed and lifted it off, dropping it to the floor and sitting there in her underdress and corset. "… Hm." He tapped on the hard bone plate sewn into the front of the corset. "That looks awful. Does it hurt?"

"You get used to it." She looked at him in surprise. "Did… she didn't wear all this stuff?"

"A little waist thingy, yeah, but not a whole… up here kinda thing." He touched at the top of her corset, just above her breastline. "It's like you're encased or something."

"Oh." She wriggled a little bit, reaching around to her back to unlace it, but he stopped her.

"I want to do it," he said quietly. Zelda nodded and held still, waiting as his hands fumbled at the laces, trying to figure out the knots. He closed his eyes and concentrated as he worked, and soon the corset was undone, Zelda still clutching it against her body.

"Can I see you?" he asked her, his hands going to the edges of the corset. Zelda nodded and let go, and he pulled the undergarment away and set it down on the bed next to them before looking back at her, the underdress barely a gauzy film over her bared skin.

He kissed her breasts through the material, and Zelda sighed and wrapped her arms around him, resting her chin on top of his head.

"Am I alright?" she asked him, stroking his hair, her breath hitching when he put his mouth around one tight point.

"You're asking me?" he muttered, trying to look up at her.

"I mean… do I look okay? I don't…" She wasn't sure what she meant. She couldn't find the words.

Link sighed and pulled his head back to look her in the face. "You're the most beautiful woman I know," he said, touching her cheek.

Zelda smiled. He was so easy to believe; it was possible he even meant it. Link dipped his head and kissed her breasts again, then he turned them over, laying her out on the bed and kissing her on the mouth, before lifting her dress to her waist and scooting down.

"What are you doing?" Zelda asked, propping herself up on her elbows to watch him. It didn't take her long to figure it out.

\

Zelda woke up early in the morning, feeling warm and rested. Link was pressed up against her from behind, his arm over her waist and his nose in her hair, and he was snoring slightly. She was comfortable in his arms, and as she always did when she was near him, she felt safe. He was the one person she trusted more than anyone else.

A sudden thought woke her up sharply, beyond the sort of sleepy haze of deep rest.

Why didn't she just ask Link to marry her?

It was so simple. People would get off her back about their widowed friend or some boorish relative, they were already well-acquainted (twice last night for both, in fact), they trusted each other, he'd already helped her with so much.

How could she have been so foolish as to not think of it weeks ago?

"Link," she whispered, rolling over to look at him. Link grumbled and clung to her, burying his face in her neck. "Link, wake up."

"Hm."

"Link, do you want to marry me?"

There was silence for a while.

"Wha?"

"I said, do you… do you want to marry me?"

He pulled back and looked at her, confused. "Am I that good?"

Zelda laughed and kissed him. "Well, think about it. We're good friends, I trust you more than anyone else, and your incredible cleverness and selflessness to the country is helping to save it. You're perfect. And… then, maybe, we could… make love, in the most complete way."

He stared at her. "Me?"

"Of course you." She kissed him again. "Will you?"

He thought about it, then smiled real slow, and kissed her back. "Sure."

Zelda laughed again and pressed up against him, reaching down to guide his hand—

"But—

She let go of him and her eyes snapped up to his face. He squirmed a little under her gaze. "We should wait until the baby's born."

This was, actually, excellent advice.

"Yes. If it's yours, then it would be the next ruler of Hyrule until we have our own children." She bit her lower lip and cursed.

"Do you want kids?" he asked, rubbing her side.

"Yes, eventually. We need to at least have one."

"Mm." He nodded. "If it's mine, will you still want to marry me?"

She looked at him, considering. "Of course."

He kissed her, and Zelda sighed, closing her eyes again. "I should get cleaned up. I need to write some very important letters today."

"Lots to do?"

"Every day," she muttered, irritated.

Link kissed her forehead, he couldn't get enough of her now, and smiled at her. "You'll do fine."

She smiled back. Really, why hadn't she thought of this elegant solution before?

"It won't be for a while, though, so we should still… keep it under wraps."

"Of course."

Zelda left the bed and found her underdress, pulling it on, and then her heavy formal dress over it. The corset would have to wait. Hopefully, Tilly would still be asleep… but then, she would need a bath drawn…

She swore a little, her mind running circles. Then she turned. "Link?"

He sat up and looked at her, scratching idly at the scar on his arm. The skin around it was always a little dry and flaky now. "Yeah?"

"I want to clean up, but… Tilly won't be awake yet. Could you…"

He sighed. "Sure, let me get dressed."

"I'm sorry to be a bother."

He shook his head in response with a smile. "I suppose I should get used to you tellin' me what to do now, huh?" He climbed out of bed and searched for his underthings, gave up, and pulled on his breeches, tying them extra tight. "While I do that, uh… will probably need new sheets on the bed…"

"If you strip them off and wad them outside the door, someone will take them away for washing."

"Oh. Okay." He shrugged on his shirt, not bothering to tuck it in, and Zelda walked over to him, putting a hand to his chest and kissing him deeply. Link put his hands up to her face, and all their little moments of last night came back; just the moments of holding each other and kissing, the elegant way Zelda had of doing every little thing, even wiping her mouth on the bed sheet, patting at her lips.

"You should probably clean up too," she whispered.

"I could join you."

She smiled. "Alright. I'd like that."

\

They were soaking in the tub for a little while, Zelda on one side and Link on the other, eyes closed, when Link woke up.

"What did you…"

"Hm?" Zelda opened one eye and looked at him before yawning, then giving him a smile. "What is it?"

"You wanted Verla's last name? Why's that?"

Zelda thought for a few minutes, having to collect herself. "Oh. Oh, I wanted the accountants to look up her information, to send her a formal bill for the evaded taxes. I'll give her one chance to pay them and then charge her with evasion."

"But, she's pregnant."

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Pregnancy is not a magic talisman. She still broke the law. She will probably pay it or fight it. Hire an impressive lawyer who will come storming in here in a huff, shouting about… statute of limitations and renounced citizenry and…" Zelda sank a little deeper in the water, her feet in Link's armpit. "If she'd paid it, we'd be a lot better off."

Oh, but—

"Oh. But… would you be willing to testify to the ranch's earnings?"

"No."

His response was so swift that Zelda didn't think he understood what she was asking. "You're not willing to tell the judge how much you know the ranch was worth?"

"No." He shrugged. "I'm not going to get involved in this. It's a court matter, and I'm not part of the court yet. And, I'm… uh… involved with the… accused, or was, so I wouldn't be a neutral party—

"That's only for the jury," she informed him, her head resting on one hand.

Link shrugged, and looked up at the ceiling. "The point is, I'm sick of being part of your fight with her, even though I know I'm mostly the cause for it. This has nothing to do with me. It's between you and her and her estate."

Zelda looked at him for a few minutes, then she grabbed a towel from the floor and stood, wrapping up in it.

"Oh, come on," Link sighed, reaching for her.

"No, you have a point. I am using you as a pawn in a lot of this, and it's unfair to you. If you're not willing to speak out against her in court, then I have to accept that and find someone else. Is there anyone else who worked there that might know?"

Link didn't have to think long. "Rik. He lives in Roldin now, but I can get you his information later."

"Thank you," she said softly, then stepped out of the tub. And to show him she wasn't mad, she leaned over him and kissed him deeply, touching his chest.

"I think he used to fool around with her too, though, so…"

Zelda shook her head. "We'll see what he says, I suppose."

"Well, good luck, then," he responded. They kissed a few more times, then finally she turned away with a little wave and dressed, heading back to her rooms via the secret tunnel.

Tilly was still asleep, which Zelda was glad for, and she changed quickly into her pajamas, so that walking around without a corset wouldn't be unusual. She folded up her dirty nightclothes and left them in a pile at the foot of the bed, going into the next room and sitting down to write a letter to Theo about his wife's owed taxes.


	11. Chapter 11

Weeks passed.

Zelda kept herself busy with other things throughout the castle as the snow melted. She began, again, to orchestrate the repairs for the walls of the castle, and builders began taking measurements and calculating the supplies necessary, in case they needed more than requested.

Quite suddenly, one day, the record keeper was found dead in his chair. Zelda immediately appointed Priscia to the position and asked her to select a candidate for a new assistant. She visited families that were still grieving and struggling, she began to organize teams in villages to help prepare the fields for planting when it warmed up a little further. She would keep the soldiers' influence minimal, to emphasize the people relying on their neighbors and themselves instead of the kingdom for everything. If there were villages that lost a significant number of men, then she sent out more soldiers to help, usually trying to send them to villages they'd come from, to be among those they knew.

The stables were clean and in fine condition, though there was still problems with reliable supplies for the horses' feed, but Link did what he could, and instructed the stable hands to help, though they were starting to resent him. Who was he to deliver sharp commands to them all the time, telling them how to run the stable, especially when his own damned horse was so unmanageable! Only because he was riding so snug in the queen's pocket ("All of them", one added in a loud whisper, to which they laughed over their weak beers) could he get away with this kind of treatment.

Food was growing scarce again. Farmers were slaughtering their cows and pigs as they ran out, so at least meat was cheap… for a little bit. Then there was the discovery that too many were killed, that the babies that were left were too young to kill, to young to breed. Prices on meat skyrocketed not long after. They were stuck with the chickens too old to do any good, and the horses that were worth more than anything (if they hadn't already been sold).

They started locking the stables at night, and Zelda started wondering (but did not speak) of selling some of the royal horses, for food or money for food.

Termina was not sharing their wheat shares. Verla did not pay her taxes.

Zelda considered this carefully. Charges, arresting her, then running a trial was too expensive. They might have to let it go. She was calmer thinking that she could let this go, because she already had one over on Verla, and she didn't know it. Like it mattered if her country was collapsing. She met with the accountants often at first. She spent a few hours a day there, talking to them and trying to see how they could coax more money, how they could possibly squeeze every rupee. But as it seemed more and more likely they were stuck with what they had.

She learned, with Odelia's help, to alter her own dresses, and she told the seamstress to sell the fabric she'd bought at the fair, in case someone would want it for a fine garment. The dressmaker hesitated, but agreed to do so. She sold off most of her jewelry except for the few items she truly loved and could wear with almost anything. She also considered selling some of the rarer books in the library, but who would take them?

Odelia said nothing as they sewed, and Zelda tried not to look at her, thinking. They needed money. And she and Link were supposed to be a secret, so she had no reason, besides lack of money, though if she traded up Hyrule as a dowry…

She pricked her finger with a needle and clucked her tongue, putting the sore finger in her mouth to keep it from bleeding all over the fabric. What about Link? How cruel of her it would be to hurt him like that! Choosing someone else over him, again and again. Hadn't he been through enough of that? But if this continued, she might have to consider it.

She burst suddenly into tears, though she didn't know why.

"Your Majesty?" Odelia looked at her in concern. "How badly did you prick your finger?"

She looked away, trying to stop them. It was fall all over again. Odelia was no fool, and she waited patiently for her to explain.

"I wish my problems were confined to a pricked finger, really." She rubbed her eyes with one hand. "I don't know if Hyrule will make it, still, after everything that's been done, every chip saved. And…" she looked around. "I don't know if I can marry your rich duke friend, because…" she leaned in. "I'm in love with someone."

Odelia blushed bright red. "Your Majesty?"

"And he's had too much pain already."

"Oh. Of course, Your Majesty." Odelia folded her hands.

"Why won't you marry him?" Zelda asked quietly. "I know how much you've done for Hyrule, and if he can take care of you…"

"Well, I might have to, eventually, but…"

"Are you in love with someone?" Zelda was glad to have someone to talk to like this, to feel as close as a sister to someone. It was different from talking to Link.

"Yes, but… I haven't a chance." Odelia smiled strangely and looked back to the fabric. Zelda checked her finger, found the bleeding stopped, and sighed, staring at the material in their laps.

"What can I do?" she said quietly. "What else can I do?"

Odelia shook her head. "I don't know, Your Majesty. I guess… wait. Winter is almost over, the ground will thaw for planting, any fruit trees left will start to bloom…"

Zelda nodded. "You raise good points. Thank you."

"I just want to help."

"I know. I appreciate it."

She made a few half-hearted stitches, then paused, considering. "Odelia."

"Yes, Your M—" She stopped when Zelda raised a hand to stop the niceties. "Yes?"

Zelda hesitated over her words. "D… have you… are you still…"

Odelia waited, not sure where she was going with this. Zelda licked her lips and tried again.

"I… with him, this… man, I want to… get… to have… the next, well, we've, ah…"

Odelia thought, frowning a little, her brows knitting together. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure… I don't know much."

"To… prevent…" Zelda domed her hands in front of her stomach, keeping them close. "That."

"Oh…" A light went on in Odelia's eyes. "Oh. Well, let's see. I'm not sure what to do, actually. I don't know many tricks like that. I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Zelda blushed and looked away.

"Um, what if you asked… who was that one woman here? The Gerudo? They have a ton of women out there, right?"

Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it? "You're absolutely right." Zelda's face brightened and she hugged Odelia. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Odelia replied quietly, hugging Zelda tight.

"Now, then, you clever thinker. Work on how to help revive Hyrule for me."

Odelia shook her head. "I don't know anyone who could help with that."

"Pity," Zelda sighed. "Well. I suppose I should write her a letter then. But in a little while."

"Of course. We have to finish taking in this seam. You should really eat more, you know."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "You sound like him."

Odelia laughed. "Well, it's true!"

Zelda shook her head and went back to sewing up the seam, grimly set on her task. How to ask the Gerudo Empress about… preventative measures while being discreet? And what about her bigger, more important problems? Hyrule's dwindling currency and food, their meager savings. She put a hand to her cheek and sighed.

"I don't know how much longer I can work on this, to be honest," Zelda said quietly, still stitching.

"The dress?" Odelia asked, a little lost.

"Yes, that…" She frowned. "I need … more of something."

"Well, I'm sure that in a few months, everything will work out for the best. There is still Cambri and Roldin, to collaborate with?"

"Yes, that's true." Zelda shook her head and went back to sewing, and Odelia, not knowing what else to say, worked along with her.

The dinners were getting smaller. Zelda ate as little as she could and tried to pawn off the rest of the food onto Link's plate, but he pushed her plates back at her and (because there were other people at the table) politely told her he was full and that she needed to eat as well.

"How can you come up with brilliant plans if you're too hungry?" he would goad her, grinning. Zelda shook her head at him, but took the food to please him. And while they acted friendly towards each other during the day, (if a little distant, on Zelda's part) it was quite different at night.

She found an excuse to go to his room almost every night, whether sneaking out after Tilly went to sleep or announcing her intentions and then returning before Tilly awoke and after the guards changed twice. At first, she tried to keep it cool between them; sitting up and talking, still in her full dress with many layers between his hands and her skin. Link was, as always, friendly and warm with her, joking and smiling, trying to keep her cheerful. It was too easy for her to lapse into a sullen silence under the weight of Hyrule's burden. Could he really help her as king? Would he be believable in a place of power? Who would he command? He had so many questions he wanted to ask her.

"So, uh, should we… announce an engagement or something? If we're gonna get married?"

"Oh." Zelda was surprised he was thinking about that. "Well, no, not for a while yet. I'd rather keep it quite under wraps, for the time being."

"Alright. I guess… I'm not really sure then… should I get you a ring, or…"

"I really don't want to go public until Hyrule has more money, and can afford a royal-sized wedding."

"Oh, you want a big wedding?"

She shrugged. "It's expected."

"By who? Surely anyone would understand all the trouble Hyrule's been through."

"Still, we should wait until the child is born."

"Right."

Remembering Verla brought up very unpleasant feelings for both of them, and they both went silent for a bit. Finally, Link brought up, "so then… would you still be in charge? Because I don't know anything about running anything more complicated than a farm."

"I know. I hope you don't mind; you would probably be, essentially, a figurehead king. I would probably do most of the actual work."

"I mean, I'm willing to help with stuff, I don't want to be totally useless."

"And I thank you for that." She smiled, brought back around by his good nature. "I'm sure that we will make a great team for Hyrule."

"Oh, of course. I never had a doubt about that."

Her smile widened. "You're so optimistic all the time, don't you get sick of it?"

"It's a lot easier than being upset, I guess. I mean, we can sit around and cry about the country all day and fret over it, or we can keep thinking that it'll get better and… maybe it will." He shrugged. "I can at least hope for that."

Zelda reached over and took his hand. "I'm glad I have you on my side."

He licked his lips, then leaned over and she went to him, kissing him. "We can do this," he assured her, as he seemed to do often. She stood and got closer, settling in his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. He grinned up at her. "You're my queen," he said quietly. She kissed him, knowing that all the layers of clothes in the world weren't going to hold her back. Not when he acted so deferential. She kissed him again, harder, and he put his arms around her waist to hold her there.

"And you'll be my king?" she asked.

"Absolutely."

She ruffled his hair with a little laugh. "I can't imagine you with a crown. Will you still clean the stables?"

"If it needs to be done, yeah."

"And build the walls?"

"Sure, if they're not fixed."

She kissed him again, pressing against his chest, touching their noses together. "Will you still sneak around with me?"

"Well, we'll be married, we won't have to."

"I suppose, but… it could be fun."

"Hm." He kissed her neck, hugging her tight, barely able to find her waist in the dresses and skirts and petticoats. "Why do you wear so many layers, anyway?"

"What? A girl cannot be cold?"

"Well, I suppose."

She ran her fingers through his hair again, smiling at him. "It's your own fault I wear so many dresses."

"_My _fault?" He was surprised.

Zelda smiled, blushing. "Well. I like to give you a challenge."

He reached down, trying to find the edge of her dress, then the skirt under that (which showed through the overdress in a large cutout in the front), then a lighter skirt under that to protect the material from the scratchy petticoat, then another skirt under _that _to protect her legs from the scratchy petticoat, then finally were her legs themselves, wrapped in thin silk tights that, unseen, had a few runs and snags around her knees, from their age. Beyond even those were her bare thighs, and then…

And so it went, almost every night.

\

Zelda had made it back to her room one morning and was waiting for Tilly to finish drawing her a bath when she received a knock at the door. She opened it herself and discovered the royal messenger, holding out to her two envelopes.

"Messages, Your Majesty."

"Yes, thank you." She took them and shut the door again, frowning. One was from Termina, probably Verla informing her that she would not be paying her taxes, and the other was from, she was relieved to see, Jalila. Finally, an excuse! She went to her sitting desk and cut open the first one, reading through it. A wedding invitation, she was glad to see. Apparently Jalila had taken to the nephew from Prin, or perhaps her country was doing that poorly. She would write a response as soon as she read the other letter.

Predictably enough, Verla had written a stern refusal to pay her taxes, as she had no estate or money with which to pay them, was no longer a Hylian, and therefore should be exempt as the law dictated. But wasn't there estate? The ranch? She wrote down to see Priscia about who owned the ranch now, and about taking the money from that. She was ready to toss the envelope aside when she realized there was still a little bit of paper inside, and she fished it out.

It was a tiny, hastily scrawled note.

_He loves__ me__, you know_

Zelda crumpled it in her hand and swallowed around the dry lump in her throat. Her hands shook a little with anger, and she took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. If only Termina wasn't so far away! She had little choice but to wait on a response from Theo, and in the meantime have the accountants and the lawyers detail another stern letter, that she was of Hylian citizenry at the time the law went into effect, and her estate had been worth such and such, their accounts had been at such and such, and therefore she owed them back taxes that had gone unpaid. Zelda smirked. Perhaps they could include literature about payment plan options? If Verla wanted to throw barbs, she would get them back.

Finally, Zelda sat down, and began to craft an RSVP notice to Jalila, along with a general letter of well-wishing, asking how her country was doing and how she was coping, and, if she could figure out a way to word it discreetly enough, how could she prevent a pregnancy?

\

"Unfortunately, Your Majesty," said Priscia, bowing her head, "the ranch you're asking about is already reclaimed by the castle, as its last owner, a Rik Olfis, moved to Roldin and was unreachable to pay the debts."

Zelda sighed. "Thank you."

"If you want, we could put the land up for sale. I believe many of the buildings are still intact… so hopefully it may draw some attention from those looking for a cheap place to start a ranch business. Of course, if you mention that his Lordship used to live there…"

Zelda nodded once. "Only if he gives his consent to do so." She would have to mention it to him later, along with a few other things of her concern. She turned now to Priscia and nodded her head. "And how are you doing? How is your assistant?"

Priscia smiled. "He is working quite well, for now." They both looked at the assistant, a boy barely in his teen years, slowly reading through some ordinance paperwork and shuffling it in a pile that Zelda hoped would make sense.

"Good, I am glad." Zelda sighed and cleared her throat. "I must go now to attend to some other matters."

"Of course." Priscia bowed her head and Zelda left the room, breezing by the accounting room. It was too depressing to be in there, watching the accountants try to sweat the books, to find an extra bag of money somewhere in the vault.

Sixty-four thousand, eight hundred twenty-two rupees. They'd spent that much on Kerzenacht two years ago, between the banquet and the handouts. It made her heart ache.

\

Link had gone into Zelda's rooms for a change (for something completely innocent, mind; he was only going to ask her about maybe going for a ride on horseback later) and he was idly standing around while Tilly went to go find her, looking around at Zelda's room. It was, as ever, impeccably tidy; books stacked on top of the table in the middle of the room (she'd removed the fertility books, as they only offered ways to improve chances of pregnancy, to her disappointment) and the few letters scattered on her writing desk, its own hulking entity in the corner. He was surprised to see a little crumpled scrap, and, curious, he picked it up and smoothed it out between his fingers.

_He loves __me__, you know_

This surprised him. Was Zelda writing it to guilt Verla into paying up? He looked carefully at the muddled writing, and then at the other papers on her desk; accounting pages, scribbled ideas on how to improve their bank accounts (one that was scribbled out hastily was 'rob a bank in Termina', which made him chuckle) and then the letter from Verla, about not paying her taxes, along with Zelda's half-written reply. He looked again at the little crumpled note and noticed that it actually seemed to have been written by Verla. He didn't have to wonder who they were arguing over.

He set the note back down and looked over the papers a little more, not intending to snoop but if she was really serious about him being king someday then he should at least—

The door opened and he looked up, crouching a little until he realized it was Zelda, back with Tilly, her eyes downcast and her back ramrod straight with her regal bearing. She wasn't talking, but she did gasp a little and step back, bumping into Tilly when she saw Link was hiding in the corner until she realized it was Link.

"Farore's hand!" she cried out, going over to him and giving him a light slap on the arm.

"You've done it to me!" he retorted.

Zelda shook her head, but now she was smiling. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh, well, I was wondering if… when the last time you took your horse out for a proper ride was? I don't have much to do in the stables so I figured the least I could do is get yours some exercise."

"Hm. Perhaps a ride could clear both our heads. I shall join you."

"Oh, okay. Great." He smiled back at her. "I will ah… get them ready and meet you there?"

"Yes. That shall work nicely." She turned to see that Tilly was already digging out her riding dress, half-buried in the huge wardrobe. Zelda turned around and leaned in and kissed him. "I'll meet you out there," she whispered to him.

\

She made it to the stables an hour or so later. Link was finishing up brushing Epona's mane, and holding the reins for both her and Cerosa. Link turned when Cerosa tried to pull away towards her.

"Oh! Hey!" He gave her a wave as she approached, tromping through the patchy snow towards them.

"Hello," she replied to him, kissing Cerosa's forehead and talking softly to her. She inspected the riding gear, raising one eyebrow. It had been kept in mint condition and carefully oiled. She glanced at Link, but he was busy brushing the last knots out.

Zelda led Cerosa to the mounting block and climbed on, and Link went back into the stable to put the brush away before hopping up onto Epona.

"Where were you thinking of going?" she asked him.

"Eh, I dunno. Last time I just kinda wandered the perimeter." He gestured. "I just kinda let Epona pick."

Zelda pulled up next to him and extended her hand, palm up, to Epona. The horse snorted at first, but then turned and sniffed at Zelda's palm, disappointed at the lack of sugar, but not shying or attempting to bite her. All in all, good signs, she assumed.

She led the way from the stables and out towards the fields, slipping through the back gate and passing by the gardens. She pointed to them and Link turned to see.

"They've burned a bunch of the plants there. Shrubs that were planted when I was but a child, maybe even earlier. And I can't afford to replace them yet."

He nodded.

"I barely have looked past the castle. I know the towns are repairing themselves but I don't know how far they've been able to get on funds, or if all of them have been using the funds wisely. I don't know if there are towns that are missing funds, I can't track down all of the people who escaped their taxes, despite our best efforts…" She sighed. "There is still so much. And Jalila is getting married in two months, and invited us along."

"Oh… Are we going?" Jalila? Facing her again?

"If possible, yes. It would be good to see her, for the country's sake."

Link didn't say anything. Epona walked along slowly, taking her time and licking at the snow. Zelda was silent for a while, looking towards the gardens while Cerosa waited.

"The ranch you used to live on…" she started.

"Yeah?" Link looked at her, wondering if she was going to say something about the tiny crumpled note, or the letters next to it.

"We cannot get hold of Rik Olfis, the man whose name it was left in."

"Oh."

"And it turns out that… when he left, the ranch was taken by the country as payment on their taxes. So now we have to turn the land around and sell it."

"Oh."

"From there, there are two options. One is that we try to sell the land with the buildings cheaply, so that once it becomes functional we can again begin to cull taxes from it, and hopefully move it soon enough. The other…" she was coiling Cerosa's reins in her hands, and finally Cerosa tossed her head and tugged at them in displeasure. "The other is that we tell them about how you lived and worked there, and take it to auction. This knowledge may drive up the price considerably, but the land may also go useless if someone wants it just to… to have a part of you, in a sense, in their possession."

Link was silent, thinking as they rode. Zelda was hesitant, unable to read him.

"So I wanted to let you know, if you would be comfortable with… disclosing that."

He frowned, but then, reluctantly, he nodded. "Yeah. If it helps Hyrule." He was a little too far away for her to reach out for him.

"If you're uncomfortable with it, please. I'd rather you speak up than be angry or upset."

"I know. It's fine, really."

They continued on, the horses taking their time. Despite the cold, the air was damp and heavy, and there was a thin fog on the ground. Link sneezed a couple of times, and Zelda looked at him carefully, trying to judge if he was becoming ill or not. He sniffed and rubbed his nose, then looked at her and offered a brief grin.

They wandered meaninglessly, letting the horses choose the path. Sometimes Zelda would point to a landmark and explain a little of the history behind it. Link watched her with fascination; her knowledge was endless, it seemed. The horses started up again, and after several paces, they both stopped cold. Epona shied back slightly.

Link and Zelda both felt a chill as they stared at the barren patch of ground. Not even grass was growing, and the snow had melted away in the spot before the rest of it. Zelda sniffed and realized that she was crying, and she wiped at her face, pulling Cerosa back a little bit. Epona kept fidgeting away from the patch, tossing her head, her eyes wide. Link's muscles felt jumpy and he was tense and alert, his heart pounding. He could still hear the roar of laughter. The healed cut on his arm burned, hotter than anything he'd ever felt, and there was cold sweat on his forehead.

"You know," Zelda managed to say, her voice shaking as she tried to keep calm, "I… I don't remember sending anyone out here, to… to…"

He looked at her in alarm, his eyes wide. "Do you think he…"

Zelda shook her head furiously, one hand at her mouth to muffle her quiet sobs, her tears running freely. When she thought she could talk again, she sniffed. "It's… It's impossible, I mean… we watched him die, we saw… we saw his last breath… and…"

It took some work, but Link managed to edge Epona close to Zelda, and he took her hand in his, giving her arm a sharp little tug. "Don't. He has to be dead." He looked so angry that she shied from him, her face blotchy from crying.

"We should go home," he commanded sharply.

"I… yes." She sniffled. "I think I should eat something…"

"Let's get back."

It wasn't hard to turn the horses away and towards the castle, and it took a short amount of time to get there. Link took care of Epona first, leaving Zelda shivering on Cerosa, and then he led her to the royal stables, helping Zelda down and holding onto her for a few minutes, trying to warm them both up. Zelda closed her eyes and put her cheek on his shoulder, hugging him close. Something wet seeped through her dress sleeve onto her arm, and she pulled it away to look, gasping when she saw red, and she looked at Link's arm in alarm. On Link's sleeve was a wide splotch of blood that had soaked through.

"Link! Your arm!" she cried, immediately trying to pull up his shirt sleeve to inspect it.

"Wh—what the hell?!" he cried out, and worked with her to pull off his coat and then roll up the sleeve. The healed cut had reopened and the blood had started to clot. It stuck to his skin and it was painful pulling the material up to inspect.

"I'm calling for the doctor when we are inside," Zelda said, wanting to touch it but not sure if she should. She wiped at her face with her clean hand.

"No, it'll be okay, I can stitch—

"I am calling for the doctor and he will come stitch you up. Do not fight me." She stared him down. He stared back, then he grabbed her and pushed her up against the wall, kissing her hungrily. Zelda fought him at first, only because she didn't know what he'd been about to do, and she was frightened, but when he pressed up against her and put his mouth on hers, she shivered again, in a good way, and she pulled at his shirt front.

Damn the consequences, he thought, he wanted her. She bumped her hips against his and put her hands up in his hair, holding them together.

"Wait," she said suddenly, her breathing heavy. Link stopped and leaned back a little, his face stern in his desire.

"We're…" she looked around, but luck was on their side for a few minutes more; no one seemed to have seen them (from outside, anyway. But it was break time, and a couple soldiers had watched the passionate kiss from the kitchen windows, chuckling and pointing it out to the kitchen girl, the scullery maid at the dishes, then the cook came over to see what all the giggling was about…).

"We need to… to clean up Cerosa, first," she said suddenly, as if half-asleep, looking around with her face bright red from the cold and the intensity of her longing.

"Uh… right." He hesitated, then went into the stable, bringing Cerosa along. Zelda stayed against the wall, rubbing her hands together, then pushed herself off and went to the door.

"I'm going to head inside to have some tea heated for us," she called.

"Alright." Link was working slowly at unbuckling Cerosa's equipment, mindful of his arm.

"And I will send for a doctor," she added with a sharp nod.

"Okay." He sniffed. At least he wasn't arguing with her anymore. Though that too was alarming.

Zelda stood for a second, unsure, then she turned and went to do the tasks she had set for herself.

\

"Highly unusual," muttered the doctor as he stitched Link up. Link was holding the edge of the table and squeezing with each following prick of the sharp surgical needle, sitting very still and silent. Zelda sat next to him, and on the table between them were a few more of the doctor's tools; cleaning rags, disinfectant, scissors, a spool of thread.

"I thought this was healed up? Or is this a new one?" He'd cut the stitches out himself, the boy's skin had knitted together neatly. He _knew_ it was healed.

Link was silent, staring at the table, the knuckles on his other hand white from gripping the edge in pain. It hurt a lot worse this time around.

Zelda didn't know what to say, so she also stayed quiet, her hands together in her lap. She had brought Link to her room and had changed while waiting for the doctor (Link keeping out in the first room while she did so) and handed off their bloody clothes to Tilly to wash immediately, before the blood set in.

The tea had at least warmed them up, but it was of little comfort against the chills they felt staring at his wound or thinking about the bare patch of ground. Zelda had even dry-heaved in panic in her rooms, leaving Tilly to fret over her (was she pregnant?) until Zelda told her to get some more tea prepared for them.

The doctor sighed and finished his work, wiping away the last of the blood on Link's arms and then the little of it that had been on his hand before bandaging the whole thing.

"You know what to do, I assume. Keep it clean, change the bandages when dirty. I will come back in a week to inspect the healing."

"Thanks."

"Thank you, doctor," Zelda said, bowing her head to him.

"Of course, Your Majesty." He bowed as well, and led himself out.

Zelda put her hand over Link's. Slowly, he released his grip on the table edge and flexed his hand, exhaling.

"Are you alright?" she asked him quietly.

"I've been better," he said with a grumble.

Zelda leaned over and kissed his cheek, and he turned to kiss her back, truly starting to feel calm. Zelda scooted her chair closer as he cupped her face, and she put her arms around him, clinging to him.

"Why can't I get enough of you?" Link asked her quietly at a pause.

Zelda massaged his back gently with her fingertips. "I could say the same. There's something about you…"

They started to kiss again, and Link moved his hands downward from her face to her shoulders, then to the front of her dress, looking for buttons with his fingers. Zelda took the hint and also started to undo his shirt, touching his chest and giving him goosebumps as she stroked his bare skin. He had her down to her underdress and started pulling at it, lifting it up enough to get his hands under and start unhooking her corset. He soon had it half undone and he gently touched one of her breasts as they started kissing again, and she let out a high-pitched moan when he pinched at the nipple.

"Careful," she whispered.

"For what?" He licked her lower lip teasingly, and pinched it again, a little harder.

Her eyes sparked, and for the briefest second he felt that tension between them that meant—

"On your knees," she ordered, snapping the fingers of one hand. Link shivered and, haltingly, he did so. Zelda hiked up her skirts and Link watched her, his pupils huge and his body quivering with anticipation. She started to unhook her tights from the garter around her waist, and then she paused, looking at him, and stretched out one leg. "You do it."

He did so eagerly, though a bit clumsy at it, and slid the stocking down, kissing the inside of her thigh as he stroked the back of her leg with his fingers. "My queen," he murmured.

"Now the other leg," she commanded, managing to sound careless and not burning with lust. He did so, kissing her thigh again, and she stroked his hair before pushing his head inward. He hooked his hands around the back of her knees and pulled her legs apart a little farther, and Zelda moaned, leaning back in her chair and slouching a little as he went to work.

"Keep going," she whispered, resting her head on one hand, propped up by the table. He moved one finger carefully inside of her and started to rub, and now she could hardly articulate, her body quivering and her hips arching, straining against him—

There was a knock on the door. Zelda bit her lower lip and half-buttoned her dress so it would not be obvious about her corset, and flung her skirts over Link's head.

"Ah… c… come in," she managed, clenching one hand, oh Din _he was still going._

It was one of the kitchen girls, and she stared at her hands, bowing a little.

"Your Majesty, I am sorry to disturb you; will you and Master Link be having dinner downstairs?"

"Uh…" She shifted her legs slightly. Link had slowed down but he was bound to not stop. "Yes, I… think we will. Thank you."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Also, I'm happy to announce we were able to find flour reserves as well, so that um, there will be bread with the meal."

"Excellent. I am glad to hear of it." She dipped her head slightly to indicate the girl could go, and the kitchen girl did, quickly. Luck was with them (for true) in that moment; the girl was so terrified of the queen that she stared at her hands all the while, but if she'd lifted her eyes an inch or two, she would have seen the men's boots poking out from under Zelda's skirts.

Zelda waited a few more seconds for the doors to be completely closed, and then she hissed, "stop! stop!" Link did, and reemerged from her dress wiping his face off on his sleeve. Zelda shook her head while staring at him. "You're a dangerous game," she muttered, rubbing her forehead.

He looked up at her, his eyes still dark. Apparently the near-discovery hadn't bothered him much (at least now that it was over). "What else can I be for you?" he asked her, touching her knee.

Zelda touched his face, stroking his cheek. "Someday soon, my husband, I hope."

Link put his hand over hers. "I want to be your husband, and a good king to our people."

"You will be," she assured him. They kissed, and Zelda straightened. "Well, then. I should change for dinner, I suppose."

"Would you like help?"

Zelda smiled. "Sure, if you're willing to give it."

She unbuttoned her dress the rest of the way and he took it from her shoulders, hanging it up as she lifted her underdress and began hooking her corset back together after loosening the stays in the back.

"What is it you wanted to wear?" he called to her, staring at the dozens of dresses in the walk-in closet.

"Here, I'll choose." He turned to let her in through the doorway, and she wriggled by him, looking around and adjusting her underdress. She picked one item, a lavender dress that buttoned up the back, and he was helping do up the buttons when her room door opened.

Zelda was instantly alert and turned to leave her closet. Link remained lurking in the space, hesitant.

"Hello, T-… Gemma?"

"Your Majesty, if you'd be willing, I'm ready to return to work."

Link held his breath.

"I am glad to hear of it. Are your father and brother faring well, then?"

Oh, so it was _her_.

"Yes, Your Majesty. They are doing quite well, but... uh…" The maid shook her head. "Nevermind. They're doing fine."

Zelda folded her arms. "They're paying their bills alright?"

Gemma blushed deeply. "Um…" She managed to glance at Zelda's face. "Well."

"I am not amused by your brother and father trying to bill the castle for a psychiatric stay for broken noses. I am also disappointed that you would dare to come back here for work. Because of their antics, you will be working in the kitchen instead, starting today."

"But—Your Majesty!"

"Are you daring to defy me? Is that what you are trying to do right now?"

"No! No!" Gemma was terrified. She'd never seen Zelda so angry.

"Get to the kitchens and work. Your family will need help, I imagine. You should get started right away."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Gemma burst into tears and left quickly. Zelda waited until she was sure the girl was gone and then she sighed. Link peeked out from his hiding place in the closet.

"A little harsh, don'tcha think?"

"No," she replied curtly.

That was the end of that.

\

The dinner table was unusually silent. There was some giggling a little ways down the table, but mostly everyone ate. The kitchen had made tiny little bread rolls, just enough for two bites, perfect for soaking up the gravy from dinner. Zelda was thinking about the paperwork she would need drawn up for the auction of the ranch. Link was enjoying his meal as much as he could. The rest of the table was trying not to look at the queen and her champion and talk about their not-really-secret-anymore lust.

They thought it was hilarious; Zelda acted so aloof, so uninterested in anything but the country, but there she'd been, acting like a commoner for a few minutes and grappling with a lover in the middle of the day in front of everyone. It only cemented everything they suspected for months. Tilly, as she'd promised herself, refrained from participating in the gossip. She was a little disappointed to lose the attention she had for being closest to the queen (and possibly the most knowledgeable if anything was going on), but she needed the money. Everyone did. Which was why they said nothing, but occasionally look at each other across the table and grin, or roll their eyes, or shake their head.

The stable hands were not quite so happy. They (especially Brind) resented Link for taking over what they saw as their job, for giving them commands (and who the hell was this nobody anyway?) and insulting how they did their work. No longer did they care that he saved Hyrule; the castle guards would've taken out Ganondorf soon enough, of course, so Link hadn't done anything special. So why did he get so much attention and leeway, anyway?

Knowing(different from suspecting) that he and Her Majesty apparently had something between them was an explanation for them. And it made them angry.

\

Link woke up suddenly. He sat up and looked toward the clock, rubbing his eyes and trying to focus. It was far earlier than their usual wake up time, but something had pulled him out of his deep sleep.

He heard it again, that sudden sound. Epona was screaming. Not neighing, but screaming in terror.

Link scrambled out of bed and flung himself into his pants, lacing them up as he ran from his rooms. The guards at Her Majesty's door startled awake and called out to him, but he ignored them, going to the nearest secret door that led outside.

From there, he was running to the stables, and he gasped in horror when he saw they were on fire, the roof bright with flames. He hesitated only a second and kept running, going faster than he'd been and flinging himself at the door. It shuddered under him but did not break. He tried a few more times until there was a crunch from his arm and his fingertips went numb, and then he stepped back, panicking and looking at the stable. There were openings at the top of the walls for ventilation purposes, and Link took a running jump, able to grab the ledge with one hand and crying out in pain as he forced his injured arm up to the ledge to pull himself inside.

The heat and smoke was blinding, and he fell through the window onto a pile of scratchy hay that was getting hotter underneath him. Epona was screaming in fear and was very close; he forced himself to stand up and, hacking in the smoke, he made his way to what he believed was her stall, going by her screams.

She bit him at first when she felt his hand, and he shouted at her through his hacking coughs, reaching to undo the lock on the stall door. It wasn't moving, and he frantically traced the design until he realized the lock had been melted shut with coals or something.

There was barely room in the stall for Epona to turn around, and she was pressed up against the door tight to avoid the burning walls. The support beams overhead cracked warningly, and bits of burning wood and roofing were falling down onto the floor and on Link's skin and hair. He coughed and ran to the stable entrance proper, finding a sharp little awl on the workbench and going back, trying to pry the lock's nails out of the wood, trying to keep Epona's head down and out of the smoke as much as possible. Finally, the nails gave and pulled from the door, the latch falling to the ground. Link jumped back as Epona smashed the door open with her hooves and thundered towards the main door, screaming and rearing again when she could not break it apart.

Link stumbled after her, his eyes tearing up and barely able to see, barely able to breathe. He managed to get her turned around, and Epona started kicking hard at the door with her back feet. What his human strength could not do, hers did, and the wood cracked apart and the door was open, smoke billowing out and the cold winter air rolling in at their feet. Link crawled out and collapsed in the muddy snow, coughing and rubbing snow into his face, eating handfuls of it to help his dry throat. Epona also started eating snow, and eventually rolled herself around in it proper to cool her burning skin. Link was still lying there when the guards came running out, pulling him further from the burning building. Epona was hysterical and kicked at anyone trying to get close to her until Link was far enough away, and then she went to him and stood by his side and stamped her hooves in warning at anyone else.

Zelda eventually made it outside; she'd been sitting up late to write out some forms and hadn't gone to his rooms yet. She stared in horror at the burning building. It was so far gone that they had no choice but to let it burn out. After two seconds of consideration she turned and ran towards the royal stables, but they were fine, except for Cerosa in a panic at the smell of smoke.

Link was still hacking on the smoke, soot on his hands and little burn marks on his skin from the floating cinders. Epona settled down on the cold snow on her belly and nuzzled his hair, staying by him protectively, her mane and tail a mess of curled, burnt hair and ash.

Zelda came back and knelt next to Link in the snow, touching his hot skin. Unfortunately, she touched his shoulder and he gasped.

"What is it?" she asked, her eyes huge and panicked. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"It was burning…" he gasped, coughing. "I heard Epona… her stall was… locked, melted."

"Farore's hand," Zelda whispered.

Link turned his head and coughed harder, reaching for his shoulder and gasping in pain. "My arm… I tried to break the door down, and…"

"Don't. Don't hurt yourself." She touched his face. "We'll call the doctor. It might be broken."

Link shook his head weakly. "Get a… a fairy. In a bottle. Free."

"A fairy?" she asked quietly. "Where am I supposed to find a damned fairy?"

He gripped her hand and kept coughing.

"We'll call the doctor. That is that." She looked around, catching sight of the guards who were standing nearby, waiting. "Well? Find the rest of the stable hands. I want to know if one of them had a pipe or something and flicked the ash into the hay. I want answers."

The guards nodded and ran to their tasks. Zelda stayed next to him in the snow, stroking Link's hair. Epona shifted and turned her head and bumped Zelda's cheek with her snout.

"Well?" Zelda snapped, turning her head and glaring at the few maids standing and staring in horror. "One of you grab him a jacket, it's freezing out. Another get the doctor. Quick now!"

Two of the maids nodded and ran off to the tasks; there was little deliberation as to who was to do what. Zelda stayed close to Link, stroking his hair and waiting in worry.

\

The other horses that were usually in the stables had been found milling about in a nearby field. That and the locked stall pointed to the fire being planned, and the other stable hands were unable to be found.

Zelda was apoplectic with anger at what had been done. A new stable would not be cheap, and the royal stables weren't nearly big enough for all the horses. She would at least get Epona in there.

The doctor had come, awoken by a frantic maid at his house door. He declared Link's arm disjointed, told him he would set it on three, and at 'two' he snapped the arm into place, and Link hollered in alarm and flailed at the doctor, almost hitting him in the face, but for a sudden coughing fit that started deep in his lungs and left him curled up and shaking.

"He inhaled a great deal of smoke. This can make someone very sick. He should be better in a few days with clean air and rest," the doctor proclaimed, kneeling in the dirty snow.

"This was intentional," Link growled. "They wanted to get back at me." He insisted on inspecting Epona himself, and aside from some blisters rapidly forming on her flank, she was fine.

"I need a salve for her, to keep these blisters from getting infected," he muttered darkly.

"I'll get some from my stables," Zelda muttered, standing and going to do so. Epona kept close to Link, and she snapped at anyone who got too close to either of them.

The doctor sighed and shook his head. "You attract misfortune, don't you, boy?" he asked Link, standing and patting at his damp knees.

"I… try not to…" Link rasped, his voice getting hoarse from coughing fits.

"At this rate, I may have to charge the castle a special rate just for calls for you." He was joking, but Link shook his head.

"I'll pay you for…" he coughed violently. His stomach ached from it. "For the…"

"It's just in jest. Don't you worry about it." He looked up as Zelda came back with the salve, holding it out to Link. Epona barely trusted the queen, and Zelda doubted it would do them any favors to touch the horse's singed skin.

Link took the little jar and worked his way around to Epona's back, sitting up.

"Hold her head, will you?" he called to Zelda as he opened the jar.

"What?"

"Hold her head. So she can't whip around and bite me."

Zelda nodded reluctantly, then did as asked, stroking the sides of Epona's face and talking soft nonsense to her. Epona whinnied at the first touches, her eyes wild and thrashing her head.

"Calm down, girl!" Link shouted, and the sound of his voice did calm her a little bit, but not much.

The stable collapsed in on itself with a roar, spending sparks and bits of burning wood and cinder everywhere. The guards shouted and everyone too close ran back, scrambling in the snow. Epona whinnied in a high pitch, shaking under Link's arm.

Some of the maids and guards flung bits of melting snow at the wreckage, but it did little against the flames. It would have to burn itself out. Link had soon finished his task and he slowly rose to his feet, directing Epona to do the same. Zelda stood back as Epona lifted herself, slowly, her back legs shaking with pain.

"It's okay girl," he whispered, his hands following along her back as he got to her front end and hugged her gently around the neck. "You're safe now."

Zelda touched Link's hand. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," he muttered, shaking his head a little. "I gotta get Epona back inside somewhere."

"Do you think she will tolerate it?"

Link shook his head. "I don't believe so, as much as I'd like to think so." He stroked her mane, careful of the curled hair and the smears of soot and ash. He looked at Zelda sharply, his face flushed from the fire's heat and his anger. "If we ever see those stable hands again, I'll kill them."

Zelda shook her head. "Link. You will turn them over to the castle for their punishment."

"No," he snapped in reply.

"You will do as I say!" she shouted back, and he glared at her before turning away.

"Look," Zelda said quietly. "They have to be dealt with by my court, through the proper channels. I will punish them, but you cannot run off and cut off their heads like a mad man." She put her hand over his. "Please. Promise me you won't."

He sighed. "You know I won't now." He lowered his head, then suddenly he broke into a violent bout of coughing.

"I'm a fool," Zelda muttered. "Come on, you'll get sick if you're out here any longer."

"I can't leave Epona," he replied. "She won't trust anyone now."

"We will put her in my stable, it will be alright," Zelda told him, trying to keep him calm. "I'll post guards around it. They will keep an eye out for the stable hands."

Link didn't respond, stroking Epona's neck, trying to soothe her.

"Come on," Zelda urged him gently, nudging his arm.

Finally, after a few minutes, Link nodded. "Alright."

\

Epona fought a little at first, but after she had a good whiff of the air in the stable and detected no smoke or fire, she seemed fine with being put in a stall, and immediately laid down, curling up. Link kissed her nose and sat with her for a while, coughing sharply now and again. Zelda stood nearby, her hands folded.

"Let us go inside, then," she said quietly, after they'd been there a while. "Please."

Link pulled his coat closer around his shoulders. "I want to stay out here."

"You have to get proper rest. Your lungs need to heal."

"No."

Zelda sighed angrily, trying to keep calm. "She will be safe. There are multiple guards outside now. Please."

He hesitated, then, finally, he relented. "Alright."

Zelda helped him up off his feet and, looking at his sooty, red face and his angry, distant expression, she hugged him, careful of his relocated arm. Link buried his face in her neck and shuddered as he fought more coughing.

"Come on. Let us go lie down," she said quietly, pulling on him.

Link let go of her and followed along, out of the stables and back towards the castle. Zelda paused by the burned stable, the fire almost out. "Please collect as much snow as you can for water. I have a feeling Master Link and his horse will need it for a few days," she instructed the maids. "Take whatever buckets you can find and fill them."

They bowed and murmured their consent in response, and Zelda headed back inside through the kitchens, and all the way up to their rooms with Link in tow. They headed into his room and she sighed, pulling off her boots.

"Go lie down, love," she encouraged him. "I'll sit up with you for a bit."

Link shrugged off his jacket and draped it over a chair and rubbed his face with his hands, smearing ash and soot, but he said nothing. Zelda looked at his dirty face and went into his bathroom, finding the basin of washing water and a rag, and with some effort she lifted it, carrying it to his bedroom and setting it on the table next to his bed. After a few minutes he followed her, sitting on the edge of the bed, his face haunted. Zelda glanced at him and dipped the rag into the water, going over to him and starting to wipe his hands clean, sitting next to him on the bed.

"She's been with me through everything, you know," he said finally, quietly.

Zelda nodded, glancing at him.

"Everything. She never balked, she never shied from anything unless she knew it was too dangerous, and even then if I just talked to her…"

Zelda had finished cleaning his hands and started to wipe away at the ashes on his chest, arms, and face while he talked.

"No one else could ride her. No one else could even get close to her; she was a mean horse, really." He laughed a little. It broke into a coughing fit, and Zelda waited until he was done to continue cleaning.

"Loris, Verla's pa, even wanted to sell her. He had a high price for her, way too high considering no one could get near her. He wanted me to break her, to make her usable for anyone. It uh… backfired, actually."

"How?" Zelda rubbed carefully at a smudge on his good shoulder, looking at his stitched wound. It was healing up slowly again.

"Well, he had some good ideas, talking quietly to the horse, putting clothes with human smell on them in her stall so she'd get used to it, approaching her cautiously and slowly, but he was too impatient for them to work, and he wanted the horse to work for the first buyer to come along. He'd been getting her used to him like this, but he didn't want to keep her, so he told me to do it. Well, she bit me a little at first too, but I just kinda… put a hand on her and told her to stop it, and she calmed down."

"You just… touched her?"

"Yeah. With my left hand on her forehead." He gestured with one finger. "I put my hand on her forehead and told her to be nice, and she snorted a little but then she just kinda stood there and watched me, let me pet her and just gave me a little sniff before deciding I was… alright. Loris was so mad when I was able to ride her bareback in a couple days. And we were inseparable after that. He docked my pay for a while to cover her cost, but I didn't care." He was smiling a little now, proud of his horse. "Did you see her when Ganondorf came riding out to meet me? She reared up and tried to strike him just when they were riding up. She's a fierce girl, that one."

Zelda smiled. "Like I said, she's truly your first lady. I'm just glad she seems to like me as well. At least her I can get along with."

"Yeah, Verla doesn't like you too much, does she."

"It doesn't help that I'm trying to get her to pay up her taxes."

"Yeah, I saw the note from her on your desk."

Zelda stopped. "You did? When?"

"I dunno, yesterday I think? I was waiting in your rooms to go on our ride."

"Oh… were you snooping?" She raised one eyebrow, looking at him.

"Well, not really. I mean, I wasn't trying to. I just saw it on your desk and was curious."

Zelda shook her head. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't do so again."

Link nodded. "Of course."

Zelda finished wiping away the ash and stood up, putting the cloth in the grayish water and ringing it out.

"I… I never told her I loved her, though."

Zelda glanced over her shoulder at him. "What?"

"Well, the note, she claimed 'he loves me more' or something. I never told her I loved her." He shrugged. "I figure… you know, she doesn't have that over you."

"Oh." Zelda turned back to the basin, dipping her hands into the icy cold water. Even though this was … somewhat uplifting information, she hated thinking about that woman, hated any second she took up in their lives.

Link scooted backwards on the bed and pulled off his breeches, climbing back under the covers and staring up at the ceiling. Zelda glanced at him and pulled her hands from the water, shaking them and wiping them dry on her robe.

"Well, good night," she said to him, dipping her head slightly.

"Oh. You're… going?"

"Yes. I have to head down to the accountant office to see how much a new stable will cost."

He sat up, slowly, as it set him in a coughing fit otherwise. "Heck, I'd be willing to help you build it."

"I know you would, and I appreciate it."

"What's wrong?"

Zelda spoke too quickly. "Nothing."

Link looked at her, watching Zelda carefully as she knotted her robe, turning to leave his room. He got up and stopped her, putting his arms around her waist and pulling her close.

"What is it?" he asked, quietly.

Zelda shook her head. "It's nothing."

"You're a terrible liar."

She glanced at him with a little frown. "I just want to set about doing my tasks for the day."

"Have you even slept yet?" he asked her.

"No, but these matters are important."

"Are you pissed off because I mentioned her and that note?"

Zelda swallowed hard. "Yes."

"Well, don't be. Okay?" He kissed her, and Zelda pushed half-heartedly at him.

"Let me go," she asked quietly. He did, hurt and confused by her turnaround.

Zelda hesitated, glancing at him. "Maybe I will come see you later, alright?"

"Okay," he replied, nodding.

Zelda turned away and went to the main door of his room. "Get some rest," she added, before departing.


	12. Chapter 12

author's note: Hi everyone! As always, thanks for reading. In fact, if you CAN read this, please send me a quick PM to let me know! couldn't handle 20,000 words all at once about Zelda and Link doing it, I guess. x_x

Link got little sleep. As he was drifting off he would often wake back up, coughing violently until there was a little bit of blood left on his pillow. He drank water, and that seemed to help soothe his throat. He was served lunch in his rooms; cool clear broth and weak tea. Zelda did not come see him. He hoped that she was simply too busy solving the country's problems to stop in, but he wasn't sure.

They never found the stable hands, and Zelda had notices drawn up with their likenesses (from what she could remember) offering rewards for information of their whereabouts. She did not list a reward amount, which was part of her plan for winnowing out liars looking for money, but they still received conflicting reports. Her assumption was that they'd run to Termina, the only country where they would be safe.

She then had to call in contractors to research the costs. It was a ghastly amount, though one offered her the cheaper option of constructing an add-on to the royal stables. Zelda told him she would consider it.

She was also considering seeing how many horses they could keep in the royal stable (an additional twelve; the royal stables were usually reserved for visitors' horses), and decided they would sell the rest to build a new structure. Perhaps she would take some to Gerudo as a wedding gift to the Empress, as well.

It seemed foolish to build new stables when they would have the room, but some day they might need it again, for visitors or for the castle's growth, so she settled in her rooms to read for an hour before deciding to see how Link was faring.

He was asleep on his side, facing away from the main door of his room. Zelda had knocked once and then entered, wondering if he would even be able to speak, or if his voice was too raspy. She walked quietly over to the bed and stripped off her robe, leaving it on the floor and climbing under the covers with him, pressing herself against his back.

Link stirred and turned around to face her. "Not mad at me anymore?" he asked in a rough, low tone.

"No," she replied, stroking his cheek. "I've no right to be mad at you."

He grumbled and closed his eyes, resting his cheek on the pillow.

"I'm sorry. I guess you're stuck with a jealous lady by your side," she whispered, nudging closer.

He sighed. "I suppose."

Now she was the one looking at him, trying to figure him out. "What's wrong?"

"I just feel piss-miserable. And you have to promise me you won't go flyin' off the handle every time she's brought up."

"I didn't go flying off the handle," Zelda retorted, trying to defend herself.

"You have, though. You gotta get over it. She's part of my past. My past, as in I'm done with it, but she's still a part of it."

"I cannot help it! This is the first time I've been with someone like this, and I am used to being told that… that we would be each other's firsts, that we would be married right away, and that it would be celebrated. We would be completely new to each other."

"We?"

"As in… a generalized 'we', for the man who would be my future husband." She rolled away onto her back. "I was told many things during my education for ruling the kingdom."

"Are you thinking that… because I've loved someone else, I can't love you as much? As deeply? That everything between…" he coughed, then continued. "That everything between us would be tainted, because I loved someone else. Because it's not true, it can't be."

"You say you never told her you loved her. But you did?"

"Yeah, I did. But… I didn't want to make her decision harder."

"Do you think she would have chosen you?"

"… no. I don't think it woulda mattered."

Zelda rolled back towards him and took his hand. "The way you speak now, of us… do you love me?"

Link hesitated, thinking. "As my queen, of course."

"As more than your queen? As…" She thought. "As your lover?"

Link cleared his throat, which resulted in another coughing fit, and Zelda waited patiently.

"I… well, I do. I love you," he managed to say finally.

Zelda nodded once, as if this confirmed what she wanted to hear. "And…"

"And?"

"You were going to say something else? A stipulation?"

"I didn't know that… you would want to marry me. I guess, like her, I assumed you'd find someone else, someone better, to marry. So I didn't want to say it. I liked fooling around with you, but I didn't think it would lead to anything."

Zelda shook her head. "I want to marry you, no matter what. I love you, too."

He sat up slowly, and Zelda moved up with him, smiling a little at him.

"I love you," she said again, quietly. "So forgive my jealousy, please, and know that I only react because… because I want you to be mine, and I don't want to lose you to her."

He kissed her forehead and leaned back against the headboard. "You'll never lose me. Surely you know that."

Zelda pulled herself on top of him, over the covers, and she straddled him as she liked to do, kissing him. He put his arms around her but not much else, only wanting to enjoy this time with her, peacefully.

He wasn't sure when it happened, but soon they'd fallen asleep together on the bed, and he woke up feeling sore along his back and in his lungs. He coughed painfully, and one foot had gone numb with Zelda's weight on it. He pushed at her until the leg was free enough for him to try to wiggle the toes around, and he turned and took a glass of water, having a drink.

Zelda stirred and woke up, looking at him, and she kissed him when he set the water down. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

He coughed a few times and shrugged. "About the same," he rasped, barely audible.

She moved off him completely, sitting on the bed. By the light, it was near twilight.

"Are you hungry?"

He coughed and shook his head. "Thirsty," he whispered in response.

She nodded and got him another glass of water, and he drank it down quickly, putting a hand to his throat when he was done.

"Is it helping?" she asked. He shook his head, wincing.

Zelda sighed in frustration. "I suppose all we can do is wait." Link nodded his agreement.

"What about dinner? Do you want to go downstairs?"

He shook his head.

"Up here, then? May I join you?"

He considered, then nodded. It was easier than talking. She rubbed his back sympathetically, and got up off the bed. "I will go down and see when dinner is expected. Do you need anything?"

He shook his head and burrowed back under the covers.

\

On top of a horrible wet cough from deep in his lungs, Link also developed a cold. He was constantly sneezing or coughing, and he spent whole days in his bed, useless and miserable.

"You have to get better, I can't go to Jalila's wedding alone," Zelda said with a smile, but there was true concern in her voice and face. He tried to smile reassuringly but instead he ended up with a coughing fit so violent there was a spatter of black, chunky matter on his hand. Zelda was deeply concerned, a little scared, but the doctor had warned her this might happen, as his body rejected the smoke-damaged tissue from his lungs.

He was fed plenty of warm broth and tea, and he could usually speak a little afterward, and Zelda sat with him every day for a few hours and talked to him, or brought him new books to read. He hated being laid up and was eager to get back to the stables. Zelda assured him Epona was being taken care of (and she was) and the stables were being cleaned (they were).

Tilly was surprised when Gemma came back and there was no mention of Tilly returning to her previous scullery duties. She didn't dare ask the queen about it, lest Zelda realize the mistake and take Gemma back for hire. At least, she worried until she heard rumors that Gemma was punished for her father's extortion attempt. Then she knew that her position was secure, and she took peace in that fact.

After a week, Link was finally starting to recover, and Zelda received a response from Jalila. Disappointingly, there was no mention of a preventative, just an invitation to show up a little early and spend some time in the warmer air of the south. Zelda was concerned for Link's health, and didn't think a carriage ride would help it, and chose to put off the trip for a few more days.

"Your health is important to me," she told him in a stern whisper, when he refused to hold her up.

"I'll be fine. I'm feeling much better," he rasped from his bed. He was looking dreadfully thin from his liquid diet, and Zelda was determined to get him back to proper weight before they went anywhere.

"Don't be a fool. The doctor said you need more rest, and I would prefer to do as he says." Zelda had been sleeping poorly without him by her side (every night his hand on her throat his hot breath in her face), and it had made her peevish.

He looked away. "That was a little harsh."

"I'm sorry," she replied immediately, sorrowful and touching his shoulder. "You know I don't mean it like that. I just want you to be better." She kissed his forehead. "Do you need anything?"

He shook his head, closing his eyes. "Think I'll rest," he whispered.

"Alright. If you need anything, I'll help you." She still felt a little rock of guilt for snapping at him, but she was certain she would find a way to make them both feel better.

"Let's go in the morning," he murmured. "Fresh air… s'what I crave, really."

Zelda wanted to argue with him, but she'd offended him already today, and didn't want to do so again. Instead, she kissed him. "We'll see how you feel," she said quietly, before leaving his rooms to attend to her many tasks.

Reports were flying in about the missing stable hands. They were claimed to be seen entering Termina, sneaking into Cambri, working at pubs in Roldin. Zelda groaned in distress, but sent a small team of guards out to investigate the few places they could travel. Termina was the riskiest; sending in guards may look like an attack or a march on the grounds, and Link was still too ill to go out (and why send him into the lands of her rival?).

They packed that evening. Food would be the biggest hassle; Zelda had the idea for stopping as often as possible in smaller towns and villages, to see the people and to help put money into their local establishments, to assure them that she was aware of their plight. She packed her thinnest outfits, the lightest layers she had. The most she knew of the Gerudo country was that it stayed immensely hot, even during Hylian winters, and water was scarce. On a whim, she ordered multiple barrels of water to be packed up and taken along. Because of the snow, they had plenty, and she would take some to Jalila as a gift, if they had no need of horses.

Link hadn't been to the capital proper, but he had skirted the edges of the Gerudo landscape. It started as a riverbed, immense in its width and slowly overtaken as sand and dunes. It was a dry heat, so that a man was sunburned and thirsty before he realized it was happening. He wasn't eager to revisit it.

The next morning, however, he realized they were already packed up, and his cold had abated to a sniffle (his throat still ached, but with some warm tea he was able to audibly speak). So, he packed up the few articles of clothing he had into a satchel and took them down to load into one of the carriages.

It was cool but damp outside, that mugginess when spring is starting to roll in, and with it the planting and the revival of Hyrule, he could hope.

He hesitated, looking at the array of carriages lined up before the castle.

"Yours is here, Master Link," one of the soldiers called to him, gesturing.

Link nodded in recognition and walked over, climbing into the carriage. It was small, meant only for one or two people. He peeked out of the door; three coaches ahead was the royal carriage, packed with several different trunks lashed to the back. Zelda was heading inside, dressed in loose, comfortable clothes. He should've figured they wouldn't ride together, but…

"Looking for something in particular?" one of the guards asked him, pretending to sound concerned and failing because of the grin on his face.

"No," Link replied hastily, ducking back inside the carriage. He sat down and stretched his legs, and finally, after last minute checks and tying down a few more trunks more securely, they were off.

They took a side passage out of the castle area, trundling slowly along through the gates and out into the main field. From there, they would head southwest, cutting through the bottom edge of Roldin and entering Gerudo on the southeast coast. From there they would head slightly northwest to the capital. It would take almost four weeks, because of the stops Zelda wanted to make.

They made their first stop that evening at a small tavern on the main road out of Hyrule. It was surprisingly busy, perhaps because the towns they had passed by had noticed Her Majesty's carriage and ran ahead to alert the next village. There was a respectable crowd around the roads, laughing and cheering when the carriages approached. Guards hovered at the door to her coach when they stopped, and reluctantly, they let her out as the crowd approaches.

"All hail Her Royal Majesty, Queen Zelda!" one of the guards boomed. The crowd shouted a hail before bowing their heads in deference. Zelda smiled a little to look at them, feeling less apprehensive about this mad venture.

"Thank you. Please, you may lift your heads," she called out. Link hesitated, peeking out of his carriage. The people were enraptured; the queen was actually here!

Zelda stood, looking around briefly and wondering if Link was going to appear. He didn't, so she put on a brave face and strode forward towards the crowd. The people hesitated until she held out a hand, palm up, to a woman who looked not much older than herself and smiled at her. "How are you? Are you doing alright?" she asked her, point blank.

The woman stuttered and bobbed her head, reluctantly putting her hand in Zelda's. "Oh yes, Your Majesty, we're doing quite fine, quite fine, thank you."

"Was your family affected at all by the attack?" Zelda tugged on the woman's hand slightly, trying to get her to look up.

"No, no, Your Majesty, we were fine. Stayed at my sister's when we got the first reports. She was far enough north, out of the… uh… path."

Zelda nodded. "I am glad to hear it." She took her hand back and turned to the next person in the closest cluster. "And you?"

"Oh yes, Your Majesty. We're doing quite fine."

"Good, good." She turned to look back at the guards. "I believe we're staying here tonight, yes?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

She nodded. "Then I hope to see some of you good people inside, if you are able to join us."

There was some cheering, again, and Zelda waved to them as they headed into the tavern. The owner eyed them up, and then began to bow and scrape when he realized who was walking in. He'd thought they were kidding when the first wave of people had flown into the tavern babbling about the queen. Food and drink would be a problem (like it hadn't been all winter).

Link saw everyone going in and finally slunk out of his carriage. The crowd was so in awe to see the queen that it took a few minutes for them to realize that he was there, until a child, bored with seeing everyone's shins, turned and saw Link walking along, slowly because of the ache in his legs.

"Ma! Who's that!" the kid shouted, tugging at his mother's apron.

The mother scolded him and went to pull her apron from his grasp, and when she saw Link, it took her a few minutes to register his clothes and general appearance, and then she screamed.

"The hero!"

The gaze of the crowd snapped to Link automatically, and he stopped dead, suddenly paranoid and nervous. He looked at them for a few minutes, and when he reminded himself gently that they weren't going to attack, he gave a nod and headed forward towards the door. The crowd pushed along after him, with some calls of gratefulness and cheers of adulation. One young girl even went so far as to push her way through and tug at his sleeve.

"Marry me, sir!" she cried desperately.

Link stepped back, away from her with his nervous smile. "I… can't," he answered, his voice gravelly from not using it and not drinking water on the trip.

But he was stuck by the pile of guards and maids standing around the tavern entrance, and he was forced to wait to enter, during which time the crowd pressed in, but not like the crowd from the marketplace. This group was curious but shy, stepping towards him and hesitating, reaching out and stopping short of his arm (besides that one girl).

He moved forward and they pulled back like a receding tide, staring at him in awe. One of the guards eventually turned and gestured. "Oyo, sir. Do you need in? Her Majesty is sitting down now."

"Yeah, if there's space." Link ducked between the guards and made a beeline for Zelda's table, sitting across from her, respectfully.

Zelda smiled at him. "How was the carriage ride?"

"It was alright. A bit rough, in places."

"How are you feeling?"

He shrugged. "The same."

Zelda nodded, looking up when they were brought tiny glasses of wine and the rest of the bottle, which looked hastily wiped of dust, the label faded. The serving girl bowed her head over and over as she set down the glasses, and she stared at Link in awe when he thanked her and tried the wine. It was pleasantly mellow, probably from sitting alone in a bottle for so long.

Dinner was a mishmash of cooked meat and vegetables, whatever could be found or was brought along by the collective of people. Even as she tried to eat, people would line up before Zelda and talk to her, mentioning their struggles to her and hinting that they would appreciate more help, that they needed more money to buy supplies to survive.

"I know, I know," Zelda would assure them. "We are doing everything we can. But it will take time. Are you able to work the fields for spring?"

Apparently, someone had brought a few instruments and asked to play their song dedicated to the queen and Link, and Zelda gave her consent. She did not know that musician had been practicing the song his whole trip to the tavern, and as such, most of the crowd groaned and booed at him as he started to play, his optimism undeterred. It wasn't a good song; the musician wasn't particularly talented in singing (or perhaps it was his nerves or the drink), and his voice was squeaky and off-key, the lyrics bad. Zelda was still, smiling politely and listening to the song, though she did glance at Link, wrinkle her nose, then wink at him. He laughed, and when the song stopped, he and Zelda both applauded. Link even managed to whistle.

The musician moved to try to play the song again, but he was rushed by the crowd who were not swayed by Zelda's 'approval', and took his instruments away.

"Don't smash them!" Zelda cried. She would hate for this man to have some expensive items ruined, even if he didn't know how to use them.

"Of course not, Your Majesty," one of the men replied, looking over the stringed lute. "Who knows how to play?" he called out to the crowd.

There was hesitation, then a young man raised his hand and moved forward. "I can pluck a tune," he called, taking the instrument. There was some applause.

"Who can drum?"

"I can try!" A young woman took up the drum, holding it under one arm and patting it experimentally with her palm.

The original musician was trying to argue for his instruments back, saying they were very expensive and family heirlooms, and Zelda silenced him by raising one hand.

"Sir, if anything is destroyed, I shall send you a replacement posthaste."

He stuttered to silence after that, and the few people who had overtaken his instruments began to play, the girl finding a beat with her foot and the drum. The crowd clapped along in response.

The people had found their few pennies, or maybe the tavernkeep was feeling generous (the more they drank, the more they would drink), because soon most of the crowd was plenty drunk. Zelda had stuck to a few small glasses of wine, and Link had only had one himself, as he didn't like the stuff much, and switched to beer, which he had a great deal of, and was now somewhat unsteady as a result.

Eventually, Zelda stood up, excusing herself and weaving between the guards, claiming she needed fresh air.

"Would you like accompaniment?" Link managed to ask her audibly, and Zelda nodded her consent. He stood and followed her at a respectful distance outside into the cool night.

Zelda went around the tavern, to one shadowy side of the building, and leaned against the wall and sighed, fanning her face. "It's quite warm in there."

"It's quite the celebration in there, yeah?" He leaned against the wall next to her, because he was feeling very wobbly.

"I'm surprised. I didn't think that… that there would be that much response. I didn't think they… noticed… any improvements."

"Well, clearly they have." He reached out to touch her shoulder, and Zelda smiled at him.

"Tell me it'll all be better."

"It'll be fine."

"Tell me Hyrule will come back."

"Hyrule is gonna make it, don't worry about it."

"Tell me you love me?" Her eyes were shining. Link stumbled closer and took her by the other shoulder, pulling her towards him.

"Why do you need to hear that?" he asked hoarsely.

Zelda laughed and turned her head away. "You reek of booze! How much did you have?"

"I've no idea." He leaned in and kissed her, gently pushing her against the wall. Zelda wrapped her arms up around his neck, kissing him back.

"It's going to be a rough three weeks without you," she murmured when they paused.

"I'm always right around, you know," he replied.

She smiled. "It's not the same, you know that." She kissed him again, and Link's hands went to her skirts to hold her by the hips, grinding her against the wall and pushing harder.

"Someday, we'll marry," she murmured as he moved to kiss her neck and collarbone, thrusting uselessly against her, "and then we can ride in the royal carriage together." She gasped and slapped his shoulder when he bit her neck a little too hard. "Careful!"

"Sorry, sorry." He licked the spot, and kissed it as well. They stayed as they were for a while, and Link backed up so that he was no longer pressing her into the tavern wall, trying to cool down. Zelda kissed along his jawline, acting more urgent and wanting, even as he was trying to stop himself.

"Please," she said quietly, running a hand over his chest.

"I can't," he answered, shaking his head.

"But Link, I need you," she said desperately, grabbing his shirt and pulling him in.

"Shhh," he whispered. "It's supposed to be a secret."

Zelda sighed and kissed him again, understanding his point of view and resenting it. "You're right," she said as she kissed his cheek. "I just…"

Link suddenly looked up, pulling slightly away from Zelda and looking towards the corner of the tavern. The door of the place had been opened and several people came rushing out, calling for Zelda and looking for her to join in the dancing. Zelda pressed herself against the wall, trying to make it appear as if they'd been talking casually and not grinding into each other.

"Please, Your Majesty! They're playing a special song!"

"Oh, I'm not really one for dancing," Zelda answered. "It's a little warm in there for me."

"Then you, sir?" The girl that had grabbed at him before dashed up on her feet and put her hands on Link now, her eyes bright. "Please?"

"I'm a terrible dancer," he croaked.

"Oh my, sir! What happened to your voice?"

"Uh. Our stable was on fire and my horse was inside, so I jumped in to save her."

"Oh! You're so brave."

Link was trying to pull away from the girl. "I'm staying out here a bit… the cold air helps…"

"Oh please! Just one song?"

"Uh… Really, I don't like…" The girl sighed sadly, pouting, but Link wasn't amused. "My throat hurts, alright?"

"That has nothin' to do with your feet," she countered.

"If he doesn't wish to dance, he doesn't wish to dance," Zelda said with a little frown. "Please. Leave him be."

"Of course, Your Majesty." The girl bowed and let go of Link, stepping away.

"I think we were going to continue our walk for now. But please, enjoy the party," Zelda smiled to appease them, not that they would go to question her.

The crowd reluctantly returned to the tavern, where there were some shouts of disappointment upon hearing the queen would not be joining, but the music started anyway.

"Well. Should we actually go on a little walk?" Zelda asked Link, smiling more.

"We might as well," he answered with a shrug. Link held out his arm to her and they trudged slowly through the snow, their arms linked.

"So, are you a terrible dancer?" Zelda squeezed his arm slightly.

"Not sure, I don't dance too often. So I probably am."

Zelda glanced back towards the tavern, and then pulled Link up short to kiss him. He gave her a quick kiss but, in such a wide-open area, he was reluctant to get too into it again.

"Where can we go?" Zelda whispered, half to him, looking around.

"Um…" Link focused on the carriages lined up at the stables. "That's an option, I suppose."

"Alright, then."

They snuck into one of the maid carriages, which was roughly the size of the one Link had sat in, and they settled next to each other on one seat, Zelda resting her hands primly on her knees and staring out towards the tavern. Link stretched out and closed his eyes, leaning his head back. The beer had mellowed into a lovely warmth through his bones, and he could feel Zelda's thigh pressing against his through her dress.

"I could sleep like this," she muttered suddenly.

"Hm?" Link shifted slightly.

"I tried to sleep a little on the ride here, but… the nightmares."

"Yes." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Me too."

Zelda shook her head. "I thought that they would stop by now. But… they've actually gotten worse since we … "

"Saw that spot on the ground…"

"Yes, exactly."

Link sighed. "He'll never really be gone. He'll always be a darkness inside ourselves."

"But… we're good people. And we saved Hyrule."

"It's the price we pay."

Zelda put her hand on Link's. "Is that how you truly feel?" she whispered.

"If it keeps everyone else from suffering, then yeah."

Zelda thought for a few minutes. "I think… I don't think it's a darkness inside us. I just think that we had a great struggle. We risked our lives. It's okay for us to still feel that danger, even though we rationally know it's gone."

She tucked her legs up and leaned against him, her eyes half-closed. "A part of me will always fear his return," she whispered. "And I didn't even know he would be coming for us, until it was too late."

Link put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. Zelda straightened and turned to him, kissing him back.

"How long do you think we can get away with staying out here?" she asked softly, leaning against him once more.

Link shrugged. "We can find out. You don't want to go back to the party?"

Zelda shook her head. "I worry about them. That they act as if the danger is gone."

"It is, though. I mean… I think so. They're just dreams, after all, it's not like they're truth."

Zelda sighed. "I just can't be in there right now. It's too crowded."

"Alright. We'll stay out here, then." He stretched out in his seat and closed his eyes, leaning back. Zelda rested her cheek on his shoulder and sat awake, thinking.

\

As they were climbing into a carriage to keep out of the cold wind, the people in the tavern were more or less enjoying themselves.

"Where's the queen?" a maid asked, looking around.

"Oh, she and her favored champion are out 'on a walk'," snickered a guard, taking a deep drink.

"What do you mean?" asked the dancing girl, wide-eyed and confused at the guard's remark.

"Oh, it's just our private joke," the maid said quickly, to cover it up.

"Well, why?"

"They're together," blabbed the guard, more snockered than he thought. The maid punched him in the arm, but it was too late.

"Together?" gasped the girl. "Is it… oh, I hope I didn't offend Her Majesty." But she was sure she had, and she worked herself up into a right state over how she'd said all the wrong things. If she'd known, she wouldn't have said anything! Surely the queen would take great offense to her trying to take Link away and…

The girl fell silent over her dramatic worries, and the rest of the party went on.

\

She and Link had dozed in the carriage for a few hours, and woke up shivering, their breath in the air.

"We have to go inside," Link whispered to her, and Zelda nodded with her teeth chattering.

When they snuck back in, the party had died. A few of the attendants were passed out at their tables, the floor was rank with the smell of alcohol, and the tavernkeep looked exhausted, but happy with all the money he'd made. He waved to Link and Zelda, barely looking up from his money as he counted.

It took a few minutes for Zelda to find her room. Tilly was already asleep on the bed, curled up on her side away from the door. Zelda kissed Link good night and went in, crawling under the covers, nice and warm with Tilly's presence.

Link gave her a little wave once she was tucked in, and hunted around for his own room. Just about all of them were occupied, so instead he sat back down at one of the tables, pulled his hat over his eyes, and stretched out to sleep.

When they left the next morning, the entourage followed them for part of the day, though soon realized that they were best to be going home and tending to their own families and responsibilities. Zelda ensured they bought up plenty of supplies for the trip; she wanted to travel hard now, the next town a week's travel out. Zelda had no idea how she would get enough sleep through the week.

\

The next tavern was also crowded by the time they arrived, Zelda feeling sore and tense from her nightmares. People working the fields had caught sight of the caravan and went to the tavern on the off-chance of meeting it, and finding luck in their favor for once. Again, Zelda met personally with the people, encouraging them to tell her of their struggles, listening carefully to them, trying to offer what advice she had. Link tried to stay invisible to the people, to keep the focus on their leader, someone concrete who could actually help them.

But they saw him, especially the girls, who sought him out like hounds. They sat at his table, surrounding him and asking him about his adventures. They begged him to dance with them, for only a moment. He refused until Zelda asked him to dance with them, to cheer them up. She had to sit and chew her lip out of a growing sense of possessiveness that alarmed her, and was abated when he would come back and sit at her table between dances for a break.

The little town around the area had been grazed by Ganondorf's attack; a few people had lost their homes to the fires his creatures had lit. Some had even lost their husbands and sons when they went out to fight off the intruder to no avail. They wept, standing in black before Zelda, and she tried her best to comfort them. It was taxing on her, not as badly as she expected, but their weeping faces and pleading broke her heart.

She promised each and every one of them to do whatever she could to help them when planting time came, and later she had several glasses of wine in quick succession and Link had to go sit with her upstairs in the mostly-empty hallway of rooms while she sniffled and fought back tears that wouldn't help anyone.

"It's difficult, you know?" she mumbled sadly.

"I know, I know."

"I just can't look them in the face and say it will be alright without really knowing…" She sighed. "How difficult will this be when we get to a town he's actually attacked?"

"I imagine it'll be plenty difficult." He didn't dare suggest to her that they skip all the stops. He could see that to her, they were a penance for leaving her people at the most crucial time, even though by hiding away she was saving them from a worse fate.

"I just don't know if I can do this," she whispered.

"You said you wanted to, and you've already started. Imagine how disappointed they would be if you stopped visiting them." It was harsh, he knew it, but he hated seeing her so full of doubt. "You can't back out, so you have to keep going forward. And I'll be around, too."

"I know you will." Zelda touched his face, her eyes sad. "Every time I start to think that Hyrule is healing, I'm struck with the knowledge that it really isn't."

"It is, you just have to give it time."

She shook her head. "I suppose I'm just being impatient."

"A little." He shrugged one shoulder. They sat in silence, while Zelda took in what he'd said. "Do you wanna go dance?"

"I could, if you want me to."

"It might give you something to do. Take your mind off everything."

"You're dancing with me, right?" She gently elbowed him.

"If you want."

They did manage to dance to a few songs; Link was passable at it, as long as Zelda led him through the steps. And seeing the happy people (less than the last place, of course) helped her feel better than she expected it to.

And the next morning, they continued on.

\

From then on, they passed a town every day. Zelda stopped for an hour or two, long enough to show the people that she knew of them and she knew of their trials and was there for them. The condition of the villages got worse, fewer people smiling, fewer people available to smile.

After nine days, they were on the edge of Hyrule, towards the first town that felt Ganondorf's devastation. Zelda poked her head out of the windows, but could see nothing, no people awaiting their arrival or anything. The snow around the town was melted but unmarred. Her heart started to pound in fear.

"Halt!" she shouted, and the horses stumble to a stop, forcing the ones farther back to freeze abruptly. Link frowned when he felt the little jolt and climbed out of his carriage to see what was wrong.

Zelda was ahead of him, hopping out of her carriage despite the protests from the driver and her maids, and she started to slog through the snow, up towards the guards in the front. "Go into the town, tell me what you see," she commanded them.

"Yes, Your Majesty." They galloped off, into the town. Zelda was staring, squinting at the buildings. They looked misshapen, sad, and stained… or… burned.

She swallowed against her dread that was mounting inside of her. Link trudged up next to her, gave her arm a squeeze, then walked towards the village. Zelda didn't stop him.

Link saw what she did. The buildings were dilapidated, he could tell that from this distance. He was struck with foreboding. He went up to a light jog to get to the village, and stopped dead when he got close again.

The village had obviously been burned. Many of the buildings looked wrong because they were collapsing, their roofs sinking in and the support beams damaged enough for the buildings to sag into themselves. Cautiously, he moved forward into the village proper.

The guards were riding back towards him, and they slowed down again when they saw him. "Sir!"

"You found anything?" he called out.

"No. Seems everyone's gone or perished."

"The whole town?"

"Yes, sir."

Link looked around, hesitant. "Nothing at all."

"No, sir."

"Farore's hand," he muttered, his hands on his hips. He shook his head, then turned back towards the caravan, walking.

"What is it?" Zelda asked him, startled by his stern expression.

"We're going around this town."

"Around?"

"Yes."

"The people don't want to see…"

"There's no one there."

Zelda fell silent and looked away from him, towards the town. Link said nothing else, he just headed back to his carriage. The guards hesitated, looking at the queen and waiting for her decision.

"Go around," she commanded, turning and climbing into her carriage immediately.

They rode around, and Zelda tried not to look out the windows at the ruined town.

\

"I killed them," he said with a deep chuckle.

Zelda was laying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling, up at his terrible visage. One of his boots was at her neck, the weight lightly resting, assuring her that he could crush her throat in a second.

"I killed them all. They ran from me like lambs, but I slaughtered them all. And in their dying breaths, they denounced you as their queen."

Zelda whimpered and coughed; his boot was impeding her breath.

"The ground was rich and red with their blood. The children wept as I killed their mothers before them. The men held their dying children in their arms."

"You bastard," she wheezed, and his boot pressed a little harder.

"They all died. You and your beloved knight couldn't stop me."

"B… bu… "

"I can't hear you," he taunted.

"But… we did…" she managed.

Ganondorf sneered, baring his teeth.

"Not forever," he snapped, lifting his boot, then slamming it down again.

\

Zelda woke up with a start, gasping and choking. It'd been the sound of her carriage door shutting, Tilly had needed some relief. Zelda held her hand to her throat, tears running down her face. She sat up, coughing and wiping her face, curling up against one wall of the carriage, unbearably cold. The dreams had gotten worse, probably because they were backtracking over the ground he'd passed on, still tainted by his presence and haunting her.

The door flew open and Zelda gasped in horror, but it was only Tilly, who stopped when she saw her lady looking terrified.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Tilly asked immediately, hesitating at the door.

Zelda hesitated. "I… just a dream." She rubbed her neck, her skin pale and her hands shaking. "C… could you summon Master Link? See if he would like to ride in here for a little while and talk?"

"Of course." Tilly shut the door and headed to Link's carriage, knocking shortly on the door.

Link hadn't been sleeping. He'd been wide awake, staring out at the buildings and muddling in the knowledge that lives had been lost. No matter what he did, people had died. Not as many as would have died, but he wanted to save everyone. He whipped his head around when he heard the knocking.

"Come in."

"Hello, sir," Tilly said with a little bow of her head. "Her Majesty wishes to see you in her carriage for part of the ride, if you wish?"

"Uh… sure." Link hesitated, then stretched his legs and headed out, following along behind Tilly and to Zelda's carriage.

"Hello," she said to him with a little nod when Tilly opened the door.

"Hey." He climbed in, sitting down across from her. Tilly took up her own space next to the queen and went back to working on some small knitting project for her unborn niece.

"Tilly, if you need peace to work on your project, you can ride in Master Link's carriage," Zelda (half-heartedly) hinted.

"Oh… uh… thank you." Tilly stood up again and headed back to Link's carriage, and finally, once she was secure, they took off again.

"I had a dream," she said immediately, before Link could ask her if that had been a wise decision.

"Oh?"

Zelda's hand touched lightly at her throat, and she took a deep breath to control herself. "He was… he crushed my throat. He gloated about killing those people and then he stomped downward…"

"Din's teeth, Zelda," Link muttered in horror.

She rubbed her face with her hands, shaking her head. "I feel like I might go mad if I see any more of it, any more of his mockery of me."

Link nodded. She seemed deeply affected by the nightmares and the horrors they'd dealt with.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"I don't know," she mumbled. "I really don't." She looked at him. "How are you doing so well? How are you okay?"

"Who says I'm okay? I don't have to be asleep to… to have nightmares."

Zelda shook her head slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Those people… I didn't even know this town existed. I didn't know that that whole place was lost. It's… like I can't handle losing. I can't bear the thought of not saving everyone. We keep telling ourselves we did the best we could, we still managed to save most of the country. But I just can't… remember that all the time, and it catches up with me."

Zelda dipped her head in a nod. "I suppose my fear is more… of him. I'm terrified of him, still. He's dead and gone, and still…"

"Yeah."

They rode together in the carriage in silence, both of them staring out the window at the empty landscape.

\

Link awoke with his head aching from the cold window it'd been pressed against for some time. His right hand was numb; Zelda had apparently moved to sit next to him, and fallen asleep on his arm. He rubbed his head and slowly sat up, Zelda mumbling in nonsense. Tilly was opening the door and gave him a little bow, putting away her half-finished knitting and nodding her head to him.

"Hello, sir. They're taking a break for dinner for the night. Not sure if they want to continue on or not."

"They?" he asked in a daze.

"The horses, the men. We're about halfway through the edge of Roldin, now. We're making good time." She sat down across from them. "Did you and Her Majesty have a good rest?"

"Uh… yeah, I think so." He gave Zelda a little shake and she sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Tilly repeated the information she told Link, and Zelda nodded.

"That sounds fine. They can take their time and rest. They've been working hard." She had her hands in her lap and was looking around the ill-lit carriage, then stood and headed out. Her legs were cramped and she was sick of sitting down.

The country of Roldin was mainly a vast and empty plain, though on its northern edge there was a sudden spate of mountains that seemed impassible. Their most profitable export was goats, but they were also incredibly hard to catch and farm. The castle was just before the mountains, and had long declared the mountains royal grounds, and people looking to start a farm for goats had to pay a small fee to go on the lands, or otherwise poach the animals.

They were near a beach. There were huge chunks of ice floating along in the water, some of it up on the sand, the waves rushing inward and pooling around the chunks before receding. Zelda shivered and wished she'd brought a better coat, but she hadn't wanted to be too hot in Gerudo.

Some guards were working on building a fire to cook up dinner (whatever they'd had left that hadn't gone bad) and the rest of the entourage walked around aimlessly, stretching their legs or heading to the other side of the carriages for relief.

Link looked out towards the beach and the setting sun. He idly wondered what predators there may be out on the plains. Most of the enemies he'd faced had been goblins, hardly a problem for him. Had they killed most of the wildlife that would have been there?

He hugged himself a little tighter and sniffled. The freezing air was making his nose run, and on top of his scratchy throat, he could almost believe he was stuck with a hell of a cold.

He rubbed his arm in annoyance, the one with the deep cut in it. It went numb, sometimes, around the healing wound. Zelda looked at him, herself near the fire to warm up, and seeing him silhouetted by the setting sun struck her, unexpectedly, with a deep sadness. She did little but stare at him, worrying. He didn't seem to talk nearly as much as she did about any of his nightmares or anything. Was it because he still had some vestiges of his Triforce? Did he face Ganondorf bravely even in his dreams? Eventually, he must have gotten cold; he turned and walked over, standing protectively near her at the fire.

"Are you alright?" she whispered to him.

"Yeah, I just feel miserable."

"Your throat?"

"Yeah." He sniffled and rubbed his nose.

"Well, maybe some warm food will help."

The maids had helped prepare a meal, and thrown together a rough soup for everyone, dipping in the travel mugs to fill as makeshift bowls. Link and Zelda went first, and even though Link was about to drink his, Zelda frowned and returned to the pot, pouring out half her mug. "Everyone gets an equal portion, please," she commanded.

Link hesitated, then followed her and dumped half of his mug back into the pot. The maid who had ladled up their portions blushed, and continued from then on, carefully scooping from then on.

The soup warmed them up, and the group sat up for awhile, talking idly about the length of the trip or their family back home. Zelda refused a chair, saying that she was soon to go and lay down, as the trip was very taxing to her. Link sat up for a little while, even managing to work in a few jokes into the conversation. But soon, he was yawning, and he wanted to go and lay down as well. He was restless and bored, but he wasn't too keen on the idea of getting to Gerudo. Even if Zelda claimed she'd gotten some sort of peace with the Empress.

Link wandered off to his original carriage and climbed in, shutting the door firmly behind him. He turned back around and sighed, then sat down next to Zelda, who was quite curled up on her side, and watching him.

"I know I won't be able to sleep, otherwise," she whispered.

Link nodded. "We're not very good at this, are we?"

"At what?" She sat up and moved around, leaning against him once he had settled in.

"At… bein' discreet."

"No, I suppose not." She closed her eyes and rested her head on his arm, but Link suddenly hissed in pain and she jerked away. "What? What is it?"

"Sorry, you managed to land on my cut…"

"Does that still hurt?" She was surprised.

"A little bit, sometimes. If I sit on the other side you can lean on my good arm…"

"Alright. I'm sorry, I didn't realize that still hurt…"

"It's okay." He stretched his legs and lifted one arm, letting her snuggle up against his chest. She leaned up and kissed him, turning to face him, one of her hands touching his chest.

"Are you alright? Overall, I mean?" She looked into his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." He shifted slightly.

"You just… you always seem okay. Like nothing fazes you."

Link shrugged a little, his eyes half-closed. "I don't think about it, you know? They're just dreams."

"But mine are so vivid and real… they're frightening."

"Well I understand that." He ran his fingers through her hair. "But ultimately, they're just dreams, and nothing's gonna hurt you."

Zelda nodded, but she didn't seem convinced. Instead, she dropped the conversation to rest her cheek on his chest again, closing her eyes.

"I love you," she murmured.

"I love you," he replied after some hesitation, but she was already asleep.

\


	13. Chapter 13

Tilly was rather delighted to have the huge royal carriage to herself. She stretched out, using Zelda's good pillow to rest on (and finding that it was of equal plushness to her own) and she piled up all the blankets on top of herself, only to kick off half of them in the night. She woke early, folded the blankets and stowed them away, then went to fetch the queen from Link's carriage before too many people woke up and saw.

Zelda was hard to rouse, at first, but Link was instantly awake and watching Tilly through one slitted eye, before he determined that she was no threat. Zelda turned and sighed in frustration, not even asking Tilly why she was there before following her out, irritated but silent. She would see Link plenty once they got to the castle.

More hard days of travel, and soon they were out of Roldin and crossing into the desert, following the coastline. And still, there was nothing. No taverns, no towns, not even an attempt at a farm. Zelda spent most of her time trying to stay awake and still having fitful nightmares when she did sleep.

Link stared out the window, watching the flat, unending sands and the glimmering sea beyond. He didn't think they would pass by the empty hole in the desert where the ruins had sunk into the ground; that was further north, if he remembered correctly. He had to collect an artifact there that he couldn't remember now… a dagger or a mirror shard? Something sharp and reflective. The ruins had been held up by the item's power alone, and when he removed it from the pedestal, the walls rumbled and the building began to sink into the ground, collapsing on the way.

They traveled slowly over the sand, mindful of the horses' impeded gait over the uneven surface. There was a break for a meal, and Link took his place next to Zelda. Blankets and pillows had been laid out on the sand, and it was warm under them as they sat, despite the chilling winds from the water. When Zelda shivered, Link casually threw the blanket he'd brought out with him around her shoulders, and she thanked him.

"How much longer?" she asked one of the guards that'd been riding in front.

"Probably not too long; a day or so, I'm thinking. We've made pretty good time, all things considered."

Zelda nodded. "I'm glad to hear of it." She finished her mug of soup (she hated soup now) and looked at Link, talking quietly as to not be heard over the rest of the conversation. "How are you?"

He shrugged. "The soup helps my throat."

"Good." Zelda pulled the blanket closer around her shoulders. "You knew it would be cold out here?"

"Well… yeah." He looked at her strangely. "Why?"

"Well, I assumed… desert. Heat."

"Not at night. No, it's absolutely freezing at night. No trees or nothing to protect you from the winds, and the sand loses its heat quickly. Sure, right now it's still pretty hot from the sun, but if you walk around in it in the morning, it's pretty cold."

Zelda laughed. "How do you know something I don't, for once?"

"Well, I've been out here."

"You have?"

"Yeah." Link looked at her in surprise. "Didn't you know?"

"No, I suppose I didn't… I've never been out this way, after all."

"Hm." Link took a drink of his remaining soup. "Yeah, this was… one of my 'trials', she kept calling them."

"Impa, you mean?"

"Yeah."

They were silent for a time.

"I miss her," Zelda said quietly.

"She did what she had to, to protect you." He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to keep her warm. Zelda tensed, and he let her go again, staring into his mug. He finished what was left and set it down in the sand, then stood and went to his carriage without speaking.

"Is his lordship well, Your Majesty?" one of the maids asked.

"I don't think he is, no." She stood. "I think for now, I will retire. Good night."

The group muttered a 'good night' to her in return, and resumed their conversations when she was gone. Of course, Zelda did not go to her own carriage, but instead to Link's, to apologize to him and try to warm him up.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as soon as she was in the carriage, sidling up against him and sharing the blanket.

"Me too," he replied, staring out the window at the shifting sand.

"Why?" Zelda felt her heart flutter with anticipation, looking at him.

He shrugged. "I just forget, I guess, or maybe I don't want to remember that we have to be so private."

Zelda touched his shoulder, then his cheek, and then he turned to look at her.

"Maybe, then, we shouldn't… fool around. Until we can be married properly."

Link considered, then he reached out and pulled her close, kissing her. Zelda cursed under her breath and wrapped her arms around him, tugging the blanket over them both.

\

On the other side of the continent, Verla was sitting in her baby's eventual nursery, listless and quiet. She spent time there when she wanted to hide from the people in the rest of the house. The king had received no response from Zelda formally, and was no longer listening to Theo's insistence that she was unfit for rule until he had more proof, and more letters had come in from Hyrule demanding Verla pay her debt. And every day, she grew more and more frantic that Theo would kick her out if he knew that he may not be the true father. Her worries were affecting the baby, and they'd had to call in a doctor a few times when she began to bleed, and she was ordered to bed rest for a time, which drove her nutters.

She paced in the nursery, her legs sore from the swelling. At the moment, she was hiding from her mother, who was beside herself with joy for a grandchild, and spent most of her days picking out the furniture for the nursery, interviewing wet nurses ('you're a noble woman now, dear, you can't nurse him yourself!') and doing all the tasks that Verla should have been taking care of, but could not find the energy to do.

Surely, Zelda could not have her claws into him so deeply. He claimed to love her—impossible! He'd never said it once to her, and they spent so much longer together! If she thought they could pull it off, she would hint that Zelda was a witch or something.

Verla broke into tears, as she often did nowadays. Why hadn't she run off with Rik or Link?! What a fool she was. She sat down again and cried, the baby kicking fiercely inside her, then stood up once more and started to walk again until the baby calmed down.

After dinner that night, she and Theo went up to their room for bed, but he wanted to talk, it seemed.

"How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," Verla admitted, curling up on her side of the bed as Theo undressed.

"How is our child?"

Verla managed a smile and shrugged one shoulder. "Growing. Active. He's going to be a wild one, that I know."

"Good. A strong healthy boy, and then maybe a sweet little girl. One of each." Theo climbed into bed next to her. "Maybe after we aquire Hyrule as part of Termina…"

"Do you really think it's going to happen?" Verla snuggled up close to him.

"I cannot say for certain. The king claims he's received no further correspondence from Her Majesty in regards to our spat, and he's deeply saddened by it. He wants it to be resolved peacefully. I think it's suspicious that she is so doggedly attacking you over it."

"She's mad." Verla shrugged. "She's angry that Link and I were such good friends for so long, so she's trying to fight back. And desperate people do desperate things."

"Ugh." Theo snorted. "That useless cowgazer. She's all wrapped up in him something sickening." He kissed Verla. "But I have you, my lovely flower. We have each other. And our child."

"Yes." Verla smiled at him. "Yes, we do."

And they said no more about it, for a while.

\

The Gerudo castle was impressive. It looked like it'd originally been a fortress, and had received multiple add-ons of towers that seemed topped with onion-shaped domes, beautiful arched windows, everything in soft cream stone. There was a fountain (a fountain!) before the castle with fresh, clean water, acting as a drinking trough for horses, and the path leading to the main entrance was tiled with ceramic and glass chips that created an elegant design that flowed around the fountain and outwards, through the branching streets of the city, and down to the main gates and a public beach area, with the soft sound of the sea always in the background. They were directed right to the stables, and the multitudes of stable hands rushed out to help unhook the horses and begin unloading their luggage.

Zelda stepped out from her own carriage (she'd braved a night alone, for appearances) and yawned, rubbing her eyes. In the heart of his birthplace, the nightmares were indescribable. She looked around, blinking against the bright sun, and stepped out onto the ground, looking down at the tiles in interest. It would be something she would consider for the future, if they ever had the money for such a project.

"Zelda! Darling!"

Zelda's head shot up and her eyes went wide. Of course she'd be here; after all, it was Marion's nephew, wasn't it?

Marion hugged Zelda tightly, laughing. "Oh it is ever so good to see you! I'm so glad you came in early; finally someone to talk to! The Gerudo around here," she started in a loud whisper, as if they were co-conspirators, "aren't very polite to us outsiders."

"Ah…" Zelda nodded slowly. "It is good to see you as well."

"And LINK!" she practically screeched. Link froze, halfway out of the carriage and contemplating retreat, found it too late, and offered her a weak smile.

"Hello," he growled.

"Oh my goodness, but what happened to your voice?" she asked with an alarmed gasp.

"We had a stable burn down. Link had gone in to save the trapped horses," Zelda explained rapidly.

"You're kidding!"

"No. We believe it was set intentionally."

Marion's hand fluttered to her chest and she touched Zelda's cheek, then rushed over and touched Link's arm. "Well it is a good thing you are alright, dear. Still a hero!"

"Well it was my horse, so—

"Nonsense! No need to be so humble!"

She rushed back over to Zelda, and put their heads together. "I am ever so glad to see you again. Tell me, how are you doing? Any luck with a husband yet?"

And on it went as they headed into the castle.

\

At the far end of the great hall was the throne. Jalila was standing before her chair, her hands folded together, ready to greet her guests. Marion was rapidly whispering in Zelda's ear, trying to describe everything.

"Notice how there's almost no men anywhere? Except for those ones you see lurking around the throne. Those are her… and her ladies-in-waiting… pets. Ugh. Barbaric… but intriguing." She glanced at Link significantly, and he stepped away.

"Presenting Her Royal Majesty Zelda of Hyrule!" shouted one of the guards, thunking the end of her staff on the floor to call all to attention.

"It is good to see you again, Your Majesty," said Jalila, bowing her head.

"And you as well, Your Eminence," said Zelda, also bowing. Jalila stepped forward and gave her a hug, then smiled at Link.

"It is good to see you as well, Master Link."

"Yeah, same here."

There was a brief silence, then Jalila turned to Zelda. "Well. I will show you to your rooms."

"Thank you."

Jalila led them down the west wing of the building and up a flight of stairs to a hall of bedrooms, walking in step with Zelda, Link trailing behind.

"How is your country? Besides the burning of your stable?" Jalila asked her quietly.

"Oh, we are doing well enough, I suppose. It will probably be a right spring when we return from your wedding celebration, and I've got it set for the people to begin planting for fall. Not sure how the summer will go."

"If you want, I am willing to send some teams to help with the planting and the reaping. We'll take only some of the take of wheat as payment."

"That would be much appreciated, actually. We can use all the help we can take." Zelda was thinking about the empty village. "It would need repairs, but there's… there was a village that… there's a place for your soldiers to stay over the winter, if they wish. Just on the other side of Roldin."

"Ah. The people there won't mind?"

"… no. I don't believe they will." Zelda cleared her throat.

They stopped at a huge set of ornate doors, and one of the guards leading them opened one.

"This is one of the guest bedrooms."

It was of equal size to Zelda's own room back home, with what looked like a huge backless couch, but was explained to be a bed. Zelda walked around curiously; the floor was cold stone tile, and there was a huge balcony, blocked off with thick curtains to keep cool air in throughout the day, facing north.

"Thank you," Zelda said immediately, bowing her head again to Jalila. Jalila nodded and gestured down the hall. "Herford's family… Marion and the rest, are taking the east wing. We figured it would be easier if other guests took this wing."

"Of course." Herford? Zelda wrinkled her nose, and Jalila caught it, for she grinned slightly.

"The rooms down this hall are more or less free. Your accompaniment is free to take any of the rooms they wish. When you are finished unpacking, would you like to join me for tea out on the veranda?"

"Yes, that would be lovely." Zelda hoped, finally, that she and Jalila would be able to talk in private.

Link picked the room across from Zelda's, and was ready with an explanation for anyone who asked, but no one did. Her things were put up in an elegant wardrobe of pink-looking wood, and beautifully woven blankets were layered over her… 'bed'. Zelda considered it, laying down to try it out and finding that it was quite comfortable. After some time to grow accustomed to her surroundings, she decided to go meet Jalila, being helped to the veranda, which was in the back of the castle overlooking a modest garden of desert plants. Jalila was already sitting there, a shirtless, tanned man fanning her to keep her cool. Zelda eyed the man carefully, but he did not look familiar and he kept his gaze downcast. Jalila gestured, and another man, who'd been standing idle, came over and helped Zelda down into her chair.

"A fan, Your Majesty?" he asked her in a mumble.

"No, no thank you," Zelda answered, looking him over and frowning. He seemed to have a great many scars on his arms and some on the back of his legs. She hoped it was from his previous life.

"Tea, Your Majesty?" It was another man.

"Um, please. Sugar and cream?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The servant even stirred the cup for her until the sugar was dissolved, then lowered his hands with the cup and saucer, Zelda taking them from his hands. It was… a little creepy.

"So… are you ready to marry Herford?" Zelda asked, waiting to take a sip.

"No, I'm not." Jalila shrugged as she sipped her tea. "To be honest, I'd rather not. But… we need the money."

Zelda nodded. "I've considered… one of my ladies has some duke she thinks would be great for me, but…"

Jalila smiled. "But you seek another."

"Yes." Zelda looked around at the men, then to Jalila.

"Do not worry. They have been ordered to hold their tongues, or lose them. They are as deaf as statues."

"Oh."

"I was wondering why you sent me a letter asking about the best way of leaving a field barren for a year. Anyone would know you simply don't plant in it. You seem to … want to plant without anything growing, if I understand?"

"Well…" Zelda had really struggled with a metaphor. "Yes, I suppose that is the best way of putting it."

Jalila curled some hair around her fingers as she drank her tea. "There is a special plant that we use here. You can chew the plant outright, the day after planting, to prevent any seeds from… settling. You can make a tea of it, but you must drink it every day of fresh leaves, which gets costly, or you can even smoke it, but that's the weakest method. I personally prefer to eat the leaves. They taste ghastly, but…" She shrugged.

Zelda was staring at her with huge eyes. "What is this plant?"

"It's known by some as the Whore's Flower."

"I can't order in anything called a 'whore flower'," Zelda muttered.

"Of course not. I believe the proper name for it is… the six-pointed harebell."

"Where can I find it?"

"It grows in northern Gerudo. I can send you home with several bulbs and a few plants, if you'd like. Very common."

"If you have them to spare, I'd be very grateful." Zelda drank her tea and found it tasted strange. She glanced at Jalila suspiciously. "Um… my tea…"

"Yes? Oh. I bet… you had cream, yes? We have it brought in from Roldin. That may be why…"

"Oh." Goat milk. Zelda took another drink, a smaller one.

"If you do not like it, I understand. You can hand it off."

"I would be happy to drink the tea for you, Your Majesty," mumbled the young man at her side.

"Um… I do apologize." She handed the cup to the servant, and he drank it quickly, the other men standing around and staring at him with envy.

Jalila waved one hand. "Go on then, boys. See how the unpacking is doing. Carlo, you can stay." She pointed at the one who'd been fanning her.

"So yes. The green part of the flower. The nice thing is that it looks quite pretty, so you can keep it in your rooms as a decoration, for convenience."

"Oh. Good."

"If you want, I can have one put in your room, even, for your stay."

Zelda had, unbeknownst to her, started to blush. "That's not really necessary…"

Jalila shrugged. "It is up to you, if you change your mind. You are in a strange place. We are in the middle of our stormy season; they crop up at night. Maybe you wake up in alarm from a bad dream, and cannot fall asleep. You go to his room, to talk to him, hope that he is awake. He lets you climb under the covers, you do not realize you are cold until he asks. His strong arms go around you, and soon enough…"

Zelda was staring.

"Or maybe you are sitting out in this very veranda. You have both drunk a great deal of our Gerudo wine. The stars are out and it's so warm. You turn to kiss him, he kisses back, and the idea of being seen, of being caught, is too alluring. You see? I know all these stories. So… I will send you a small plant. It may come in handy."

Jalila shrugged one shoulder. "All sorts of strange things happen in this desert. We used to have ruins to the north. You could see them on clear days on the horizon. But… one day, they vanished. We have not seen them since."

"They vanished?"

"Yes. I've no idea what happened."

"How strange."

Jalila sat in silence for a time. Zelda was considering taking a nap there in the chair, when Jalila suddenly spoke.

"Do you want to know about him?"

"What? Who?"

"Ganondorf."

The very name gave Zelda a chill. "What… about him?"

"The day he decided to attack Hyrule."

"Please, I'd rather not know about it. It's over now, and I'd rather not think about him."

"I understand."

They sat there again for a while.

"So…" Zelda started.

"Yes?"

"Is… Herford a good man?"

"Hm. He seems a bit silly. He obviously thinks highly of himself, which is a shame, as he's not much. Apparently they stuck him out on Prin because he was spending too deeply into the family's yearly budget. He's in for a rude surprise when I hand him off a meager allowance. You give these boys barely anything," she reached up and touched Carlo's presented cheek, "and when you offer them a little leeway, they realize what a special treat it is."

Zelda shook her head. "I cannot treat him in such a way."

"Oh, you don't have to take it to our extent."

"I'm devoted to him." She blushed. She didn't mean to say it.

Jalila laughed. "So! You two are like snakes, then. Wrapped up in each other. It is not a problem. I myself am not the type to be with just one man."

"Does Herford know that?"

"I have discerned from his personality that he's not the type to be with just one woman. It should be mutually beneficial for us."

"How do you not get jealous? Or upset?"

Jalila shrugged. "Out here, we are family. I am surrounded by my sisters. The boys are, as I told you before, like art. I suppose… less like art and more like… tools? We share them, borrow them from each other. You know the girl in the next room is going to eventually use the boy you're currently with, and you will use the one she has been using."

Zelda wrinkled her nose. "It's strange."

"I'm sorry if our customs offend you." Jalila's voice was hard.

"No, I apologize. I do not mean to offend you in your own lands. I… have been having a hard time with some jealousy myself, so."

"Oh? Remember that; she may use him, but so will you. You have lost nothing."

"She won't, though. She rejected him, ran off and married someone else. But he still thinks about her. He still loves her… I think."

"Did he run after her? Did he fling himself on her doorstep and beg her to take him back?"

"I…" Zelda looked at her hands. "I don't believe so."

"Then he doesn't love her so much as to leave your side. Do not worry about it. Do not let this other woman trouble you."

Zelda thought over this. "But…"

"I mean it. Do not think about her. When she comes up, remember she is of little consequence to the two of you now."

"She owes the country some… fifty thousand rupees, if my memory is correct?"

"Oh." Jalila blinked in surprise. "Then, find her and ruin her, and make love to him on her grave."

Zelda gaped at Jalila in shock, and she started to laugh. Jalila joined in, and they laughed so hard there were tears in their eyes.

\

Link unpacked his few things, and, because he had nothing better to do, he wandered the fortress. The soldiers bowed to him, but only because they knew he'd come as a guest. Otherwise, they would have ignored him, or possibly propositioned him. He stumbled into the great hall again, looking around in interest at the architecture. Marion caught up to him and linked her arm through his.

"It is so good to see you again!" she exclaimed with a smile. "Come, I'll introduce you to my nephew."

"Uh…"

"Not sure how you'll feel about him, but I'm sure you're bound to get sick of women's talk soon enough."

"Well…"

He was led to a pack of men, standing around and laughing, dressed in clothes he didn't recognize; jackets with long trailing tails and left hanging open in the front, puff-sleeved blouses under vests that contrasted in a hideous way with the jackets, painfully tight-looking pants that were also in a different color, and smart little shoes (what looked to him like women's shoes) with silky knee-high tights. The colors and patterns of their dress was dazzling in the worst of ways, and they dared to turn to look at him and look him over like a side of beef, analyzing his clothes and dismissing him as the wrong side of fashionable.

"Herford dear, this is Master Link, the knighted hero of Hyrule." Marion nodded once and wandered off to go gossip with some other guests from her family.

The most gaudily-dressed of them turned again and smiled this time, extending one heavily-ringed hand. "How pleased to meet a legend! We've heard all about your exploits from Aunty Marion, even out on Prin."

"Yeah, uh, congratulations on the wedding." He shook Herford's hand, and offered a half-hearted nod.

"They say you took the man down in a few minutes! How incredible. Was it hard?"

"Yeah, it… it was difficult. But I had a good sword, which helped."

The group of men half-heartedly nodded, and the conversation awkwardly deflated.

"So… um. I uh… like your jackets," Link offered, settling on the least offensive of the items; a deep red satin thing with intricately-worked green vines and tiny yellow flowers embroidered over the length of it.

The men smiled in relief. So! He did have some taste!

"Thanks! If you want, I can give you the name of my tailor."

"Oh, we're on a budget in the country right now."

"Of course, but a man has to have something to distinguish himself. How else will he garner female attention?" There was some chuckling.

"Well, uh, I did kinda save my country from a mad man, so…" Link shrugged. The conversation died again.

Marion came back over at the end of the conversation, laughed and patted Link's arm. "Indeed! Now, I'm thinking a spot of tea is just the thing, so please dear, we'll see you some time later." She kissed her nephew's cheek and ushered Link away again. The crazily-dressed boys didn't quite wait long enough before they broke into peals of laughter over his clothes, but Link was unfazed. At least he didn't look like a blind idiot.

\

"How do you…" Zelda gestured helplessly. She'd gotten too warm outside, so Jalila went with her to walk through the halls of the fortress. Everywhere Zelda looked was a soldier wielding a spear or a curved blade, or a man, rarely dressed in more than a pair of billowing cotton pants.

"Yes?" Jalila looked to her.

'How do you… make these men subservient? If they are random thieves and vagabonds."

"Oh." Jalila tilted her head slightly. "Well, I can't promise you'll like it…" She took a deep breath. "We isolate them, until they stop begging to be let out. We feed them through a slot in the door, but we do not contact them until they are quiet. Then we start to go in, to clean them, to give them orders. Little things at first; touch your toes. Do a lift. If they try to speak, to ask to be freed, then they are left alone with only their daily rations. When they begin to follow directions without question, then they are visited more often. They are given more food. Th—

She realized Zelda was staring in alarm.

"You torture them!" she gasped.

Jalila shook her head. "We teach them to oppress their urges to dominate, to control, by breaking them of it."

"Through torture!"

"It is what works out here. This desert makes men strange."

"How do you know? All the men you see are all broken!"

"Because the one man we did not alter was Ganondorf, and look at how well that turned out!" Jalila shouted.

Zelda was aware, without looking, that a great many soldiers were brandishing their spears or had a hand on their sword hilts, waiting for one gesture from the empress.

"What do you mean?" she asked, pressing on, despite the wave of fear that struck her when Jalila spoke his name.

Jalila licked her lips and gestured. The guards relaxed, but stayed dead still, watching Zelda. "He… " She sighed. "As I said, the desert does something strange to the minds of men. They become angry. Vengeful. Men who were once calm and peaceful take on a harsh tone with their women. They may strike their children when they never dared to before. We break them into submissive boys before the desert can take over."

"And that actually works? They don't just… rebel, eventually?"

"If we hear rumbles of a mutiny, we seek out the leader and retrain him. We can keep a handle on it this way. We did not do so with Ganondorf. It'd been so long without a rebellion that we hoped the desert's curse was broken. When he was born, we treated him as an equal. He… was quite spoiled, actually. We don't see many children out here. So that could not have helped.

As he grew up, he looked towards Hyrule. Why were they so lush, he despaired, while we had to save rain water or siphon from the sea? Why did those other countries have diverse seasons, whereas we only had the oppressive heat?

He would storm up to me and demand to know why the Goddesses had so neglected us. I couldn't answer his questions, so I sent him to a wise woman that lived just outside of the ruins. When he came back, he seemed calm, at peace. But then he started to gather the men, he told them how we could reclaim the country, and how the Goddess Din had spoken to him in a dream and asked him to go to Hyrule, to take it and the Triforce back for the Gerudo, and to rule through it."

Jalila sighed heavily. "I tried to stop him. I begged him not to go. I yelled and commanded him to stay and that it was a fool's errand to go up against Hyrule. He said he was sick of the charity from the wheat crop, he was sick of relying on someone else. He wanted to champion those lands for us.

He gathered an army of men, men he had weakened, had bent to his will instead of ours. It transformed them… somehow, I don't know, into hunched beasts. And then he set out to… to take over Hyrule.

And that was the last we knew, for a long time."

Jalila had one hand on a locket around her neck, twirling it idly. Zelda glanced at it, then to the empress, who looked on the verge of tears.

"Were you and he…"

"No. Ganondorf was my younger brother."

"Oh." They stood there in silence, Zelda looking at her hands, trying to think of something else to say. "If… this madness affects men… how will you keep Herford from being affected?"

"I suppose he will only live here part of the year. It takes some time, but I believe that being away from the desert's influence most of the time will keep him from… changing." Jalila sighed. "I apologize, but I must go to my rooms. I'm… quite tired."

"Of course." Zelda stepped away to give her leave, and found herself at a loss for what to do. She decided, as was her usual course of action, to find Link.

\

Link hadn't stayed long for tea with Marion. She wanted to impress her relatives with her familiarity with the hero, and at first they had not believed her, then when she realized she wasn't joking and he was the hero, they gaped in astonishment and asked him how he did it (and was he available? They had lovely daughters back home…).

"I had help," he would tell them simply, confused that the milk in the tea tasted strange and that the men serving them were silent except for occasionally mumbling a pleasantry. What a strange place this was. He managed to choke down a single cup and then excused himself, saying he wanted to look around in the gardens for a while, as he'd never been to this country and was curious about how they grew things in the desert.

"A nature lover! Would you like accompaniment?" Marion asked breathlessly.

"Uh, no, that's fine." He stood and left after some waving. He didn't like being around so much of Marion's family. They seemed as vapid and strange as she, and he was getting irritated with these people offering up their daughters like cattle all the time. He devised that next time, he would tell them he was broke and had nothing to his name. Surely that would shake them off.

He went outside as he'd intended and meandered in the garden for a bit. Most of the plants were sort of a faded green and dead-looking; even though they didn't have a proper winter out this way, the plants had still gone dormant. He soon grew bored, and his feet were sweaty in his heavy boots, so he headed inside to his room to change.

He frowned as he looked in his luggage trunks. It seemed all he owned was boots, and it was way too hot out for them. He thought he saw most of the other men wandering around barefoot…

He poked his head out of his room and saw a guard patrolling a little ways away. "Uh, excuse me," he called out. She ignored him, so he instead left his room outright and caught up to her. "Excuse me," he tried again.

The guard glanced back at him suspiciously, but when she realized he was a guest, she abruptly turned. "Yes?"

"Uh… yeah, I was wondering… is… is it okay to go barefoot?"

The guard considered. "Yes, but… it's not typical for guests to go barefoot. The boys go barefoot because they do not deserve shoes."

"But… doesn't that hurt their feet?"

"They get used to the heat."

"And what do you mean they don't deserve shoes?"

The guard shrugged. "That is how it is."

"Well…" he couldn't quite reconcile this, so he let it go for the time being. "Thanks."

The guard bowed her head and turned away. Link went into his room again and took off his boots, setting them neatly at the foot of the bed. He would wear them for the wedding, but for now he would go around barefoot, too. Really, with the cool tile underfoot, it felt pretty nice.

\

Zelda knocked twice, then stepped into Link's room, and he looked around in surprise, barely up from his chair to answer the door.

"Come on, at least give a guy a chance to get dressed," he joked, even though he was dressed.

"Hello," she said quietly, making sure the door was shut behind her, before she walked over to him and kissed him.

"Hey." He grinned. "What's with the warm greeting?"

"I've missed you," she answered with a shrug, smiling.

"We've been apart for… a few hours."

Zelda sat down at the table with him, stretching out her legs. "What do you think of Gerudo?"

"Well, it's not as hot as it was last time I came, at least."

"Oh. You've been here?"

"Yeah. Well, not down here at the fortress, but, further north."

"Hm. So then, what do you think of this place, then?"

Link shrugged his shoulders. "Seems a little weird. They don't let the guy guards wear shoes."

Zelda frowned. "There… aren't any male guards."

"Then why the hell are there so many guys everywhere?"

"Well, there's lots of women."

"Yeah, but…" He shrugged. "They don't let the guys wear shoes. Those sands get really hot."

"I… it's part of their… customs."

"Oh?" Link tilted his head. "What about it?"

"They…" Zelda decided to soften it. "They take in thieves and vagabonds and give them a job." Maybe too soft, but she didn't need Link going on a rampage.

"Oh." It didn't settle with him, but he let it alone. "So… I met Herford."

"Did you?" _That name!_ "And what's he like?"

"He's a right idiot, if you ask me. He and his friends were in… I don't even know what they were wearing, but it was a great deal of satin and mismatched colors… it was awful."

Zelda shook her head. "Sounds thrilling. How did they take to meeting the great hero?"

"Eh. You know, I pegged Jalila for bein' a little smarter than this."

"She's desperate," Zelda offered. "Her country, somehow, is doing worse than our own. They need the money."

"Hm." Money. Link thought of Verla for a second, but let it go. "So, what now?"

"I'm starting to regret arriving so early. There isn't much to do around here. I mean, there is the garden…"

"I went out in it. Sorta sad-looking."

"Oh." Zelda fell silent again. "Well. I think we had playing cards packed in one of the carriages for entertainment. Do you know any card games?"

Link's eyes brightened. "Oh, oh for sure. We played a lot of card games in the winter on the ranch. Not sure how many I remember, but…"

Zelda smiled, and he was relieved that she let a memory of the ranch by without comment, without bringing _her _up. "I shall have someone collect them later."

"Sounds good. Uh… what do you want to do in the meantime?"

There was silence.

"Can we… just talk?" She looked at him kindly.

"Of course we can. What's on your mind?"

\

They ended up talking about Zelda's frequent nightmares, but not much else. She didn't want to stray into the trouble with the men of Gerudo, and Link didn't want to tell her about the collapsed ruins.

"Do you know anything about Gerudo wedding custom?"

"I don't, unfortunately. I cannot say for certain how long or short it will take."

"I feel kinda foolish, I forgot how hot it is out here. I'm gonna be going around barefoot for a few days."

Zelda laughed behind one hand. "Did you only bring boots?"

"I only have boots!" He was laughing too though, despite himself.

"I didn't realize; I'm sorry about that. You should have told me."

"I like boots though. I wouldn't've wanted to wear shoes like that ponce Herford does. He wears… they almost look like women's shoes."

"Still."

Now that they were laughing and joking around, Zelda was able to relax. She still worried about the slaves, but if she brought it up to Link later, he would surely have a solution, or at least help her think of one.

They both looked round when someone knocked on the door as a warning, and then a guard and one of the slaves stepped inside. The guard prodded the slave with the blunt end of her spear, and he stuttered slightly as he spoke.

"Your Majesty, sir, dinner shall be served in an hour. Please do join Her Eminence for a-aperitifs." He bowed low and backed out, his eyes downcast. The guard nodded to them and gestured for him to go on ahead, shutting the door.

"I wonder how the women here are taking to our male guards," she muttered.

"Yeah, kinda odd, isn't it."

"Yes." Zelda had a slight frown on her face. "I certainly hope we can all get along for the next few days."

"So, should we go downstairs? See what… a pair of teas? What was it?"

"Aperitif. It just means pre-dinner drinks and snacks."

Link raised his eyebrows. "Quite impressive to offer such when this country's doing so poorly."

"I suspect Cambri is footing much of the bill on this affair," Zelda responded.

Link considered, then reached over and put his hand on hers. "I hope it turns out well for them, then."

Zelda turned her hand upwards and stroked his palm with her fingertips, still looking somewhat sad.

"What is it?" he murmured.

"I…" She shook her head. "Nothing."

"Please tell me."

"It's… about the slaves here."

"What is it? Did…" Link immediately went on the offensive. "Did one of them try—

"No! No. It's… well, they're… tortured."

"Tortured?"

"Yes."

"How so?"

"When they arrive to the castle, they're… isolated and mistreated until they become silent, subservient hunks of flesh. Barely people."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Do I look as if I'm kidding?" She didn't.

"Why?"

"Jalila claims the desert is cursed. It drives men to madness. Why this doesn't affect women, she couldn't say. … She claims its influence is what made Ganondorf attack."

Link swallowed. "Then…" He stood. "I probably shouldn't…"

"You're fine, you're fine. She claimed it takes a while for its influence to seep through." Zelda stood up and put her arms on his shoulders. She took a breath, summoning up that strange power. "I command you to not give in to desert madness."

Link looked at her strangely, then he laughed a bit. "Well. At least there's that. I'll do my best to obey." He kissed her, and she kissed him back, moving her arms to pull him closer. Afterwards, they touched foreheads, their eyes closed, and stood together in silence. Zelda could feel his heart pounding through their clothes. She smiled at him.

"Shall we go have drinks?"

"Yes."

They separated, and Link paused a moment, then put on his boots. Zelda raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"I… I think I'm gonna feel self-conscious without them."

"Understandable." Zelda waited until he'd put his boots back on, and he took her arm, the two of them walking out together.

"Oh—wait, I need to grab something from my room," Zelda said, untangling herself from Link and going into her room, leaving him in the hall. She hadn't actually needed anything, but she cast a quick glance around for anything different. On a small table near the bed was a potted plant with small white flowers. She was almost certain it had not been there before. Tilly jumped up from where she'd been working on her knitting and bowed.

"Hello, Your Majesty."

"Tilly, was this potted plant always here?"

"Um, no, Your Majesty. A… woman-guard came about an hour ago with a man and they placed it in here, saying it was a gift."

"Alright."

Tilly was concerned at this line of questioning; was Zelda suspicious of the plant? What harm could a plant do? "Should I dispose of it?"

"No, that's quite alright. It's a lovely gift." She lingered a second longer and finally took up a brooch, pinning it to her dress before leaving again. Link was standing around uselessly, looking at his boots. Really, if so many others were going barefoot…

"All set?" he asked when she reappeared.

"Yes."

Link took her arm again and they headed down to the great hall, only to be directed to the veranda out back for drinks. The sun was setting and a cool wind had picked up. Men were wandering around with trays full of different drinks, offering them wordlessly to the guests. Zelda and Link each took one, and Zelda squeezed Link's arm when Marion came rushing up to them.

"Oh I'm so glad to see you both!" she crowed, grabbing them each in turn and giving them both a hug. "I'm so terribly excited for this wedding. Tell me, Your Majesty, have you thought any further about potential bachelors? I mean, we're surrounded with some wonderful boys here, surely one of them…"

"I've been considering eligible persons closer to home," Zelda assured her. "For expense reasons."

"Oh, of course." Marion nodded quite seriously, then winked at Zelda. "And you, Link dear? Any younger or… older women, on your mind?"

"No. I'm uh… too poor to offer them a good life." He cleared his throat, realizing then how true that was. Never mind all that.

"I'm certain that you'll find a girl who can appreciate you as you are." She patted his cheek, then looked at their drinks. "So! It looks like you're all settled. What do you think of the desert so far?"

"It's lovely," Zelda answered, while Link swallowed his drink in a few quick gulps to avoid having to talk. A servant offered him another drink, and he took it immediately. "It's not as hot as I was led to believe, either."

"Yes! It's certainly a nice reprieve from the bright sun. You almost look as if you got too much!" Marion gestured to Zelda's face, and Zelda touched her cheeks and nose in surprise.

"Oh. Link, am I burnt?"

Link leaned back slightly to get a good look at her face. "A little," he admitted, finishing his drink.

"Ugh. Perhaps I'll have to ask Her Eminence for some lotion…"

"I've got some, if you'll come with me, dear," said Marion, and without waiting for a response from her, she took Zelda's arm and pulled her away from Link. This left him very alone, so he took some more drinks and stood back to people-watch. Was everyone dressed as absurdly as Herford and his friends? By contrast, he felt conspicuous by being so plain. Apparently, so did most everyone else.

"You must be the hero," said one of the other guests, a voluptuous blonde with bright eyes and an easy smile.

"Some would call me that, I guess." He shrugged.

She laughed loudly and put her hand on his arm, giving it a squeeze. "I didn't realize you were a comedian, too."

He sighed and pulled his arm from hers. "Could you not?"

"Oh. You… don't like women?"

"Why is that always the assumption? I'm here with someone."

"So? The Gerudo aren't big on… boundaries." She tried to touch his face, and he stepped away, frowning.

"I mean it."

"My name is Clara." She tried a different tactic, stepping back and holding out her hand. Reluctantly, he shook it.

"I'm Link."

"Obviously!" She laughed slightly. "Which… side of the wedding are you on? Her eminence's?"

"Would have to be, I guess. Not too familiar with uh… Her Grace's side of the family."

"Oh, so how do you know Aunt Marion?"

"Well, she came to the castle to… work on a peace treaty with Zelda, so that's how I met her, originally."

Clara laughed. "Zelda? She allows you to refer to her by her first name?"

"Not all the time."

"So when, then?" Clara was stepping too close.

"Uh… I'd rather not say. It's… she gets mad, actually? She doesn't like it, um… well that is to say, I shouldn't, and…" He'd had too much, too fast, and the world was tilting slightly under his feet, and there were Gerudo everywhere, glancing at him suspiciously.

Clara laughed and patted his arm. "I'm sure she doesn't. After all, it's not like there's anything between the two of you, unless there is."

"Uh… no?"

"Then who did you come here with?"

"No one." He was speaking quickly.

"Then why don't you want to talk to me?"

"Because you're… not my type."

"Oh." Clara pouted.

"Sorry."

"No, it's… it's alright." Clara smiled at him. "So then, you came here with the queen of Hyrule?"

"Yes."

"She seems… aloof, I guess?"

Link laughed and shook his head. "Oh no, she's not at all. She's just… she's shy, I guess."

"What does she have to be shy for?"

"I dunno, you can ask her." Link gestured. Zelda had returned and looked pained to be around chatty Marion, and she smiled when she saw Link and walked right over.

"Hello again," she said, dipping her head slightly.

"Hey. This is…"

"Clara."

"Clara. Clara, this is Zelda."

Clara bowed low, clearly eager to not offend the queen.

"It is good to meet you. I trust you are from Herford's family?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I'm his cousin, and Marion is one of my aunts as well."

"Good, good."

"Well." Clara tucked some hair back behind her ear. "I haven't seen my cousin in some time, with his being out on Prin, so please excuse me."

Zelda nodded, and Clara gave Link a little wave before wandering off. Immediately, Zelda put her hand on Link's wrist, checking for his pulse.

"Wh… what are you doing?" He looked down at her hand. A servant brought him another drink, and Zelda took one as well. She smiled a little bit and let his wrist go.

"Nothing."

"I assure you, Your Majesty, I am quite full of life." He drank a little slower now.

"I am glad to see you've been able to make some friends."

Link looked at her suspiciously, but when he saw she meant it and wasn't about to berate him for daring to talk to another woman, he relaxed. "Aw, yeah, she came up and started talking, s…so…"

Zelda finished her drink and looked at Link's red face. "How many of those have you had?"

"I dunno, like… ffffff…fiiiiive. Yes. Five."

"Calm down, it's just a party."

"I can't help it," he whispered. "There's so many Gerudo around, and Marion's here, and I just feel totally out of place."

"I know you do." Zelda put her hands on his shoulders. "Have some water from now on, alright?"

"Okay."

"You were talking to Clara alright, though."

"Well yeah but she hit on me at first…" Link shrugged. "Sorry. Shouldn't tell you that."

Zelda shrugged. "What can I say? She obviously has good taste."

He was pleasantly surprised by this turn around in her attitude.

"You're not… jealous?"

Zelda took a small drink. "Why waste the energy? I know I have you."

He frowned. "Is… that why you took my pulse? Wait, why did you check my pulse?"

Zelda smiled a little. "It is of little importance." She smiled as Jalila wandered over, checking on her guests in turn.

"It is good to see you both again. I hope you are enjoying your stay here?"

"Yes, it's quite beautiful out here. I am glad it is not too hot, either."

Jalila laughed. "Yes, I thought it would be quite rude to subject my guests to a Gerudo summer wedding."

"We all appreciate it."

Link leaned in slightly. "Can I go barefoot?" he whispered.

"What?" Jalila was still smiling, as peaceful as an oak tree.

"Well see, I only brought boots and they're meant for winter and it makes my feet really damn sweaty…"

"I will see about having sandals brought to you. You won't have to go around with bare feet." She laughed a little, holding one drink in her hand but never sipping.

"Do you require any assistance before the ceremony?" Zelda asked, at a loss and trying to keep Link quiet.

"Oh no, I think most everything has been ironed out. But I appreciate the offer. Does your party seem to be doing well?"

"I think the soldiers are a little intimidated by your women. But, it will be good for them, I hope."

Jalila nodded her agreement. "I hope they do not start fights."

"I don't think they will." Zelda took a sip.

"Hey." Link had a thought.

"Yes, Master Link?" Jalila asked him in an even tone of voice.

"Why do you keep the men as slaves?" he asked, a little too loudly. "I mean…"

Jalila's face went very stern. "It is our custom."

"Yeah, but it's not fair." He was ignoring Zelda's sharp pokes in his side.

"Life isn't fair."

"Is this what you woulda done with me if I'd gone with you?"

Jalila's lips barely moved. "Yes."

Link thought hard about his next words. "Well. Well I think that's crap."

"I am sorry you feel that way about our tradition."

"Link." Zelda spoke with a stern tone, a warning to him.

"I just wanted to know!"

"This is not appropriate conversation." Zelda smiled kindly at Jalila. "I apologize. I think he should have had more at lunch."

"If you need, there are some appetizers…" Jalila looked around and snapped her fingers. Three different servants came over, two with appetizers and one with drinks. "Just the food," she ordered, and the one with drinks turned away gracefully and continued on.

"What is it?" Link asked out of genuine curiosity, before picking one up and eating it, deciding it was good, and going in for another, but stopping himself after that.

"An onion and lentil salsa with smoked goat on rice cracker," Jalila told him proudly. "The goats are bred from Roldin stock to survive the Gerudo climate."

"S'pretty good," he mumbled as he ate. Zelda also took one and found it was a little too spicy, but said nothing, managing to swallow.

Jalila smiled, her eyes lighting up with delight and relief. Despite her cool exterior, Zelda suspected the Empress was crazy with worry that the marriage would collapse and her country would be lost.

"Well. I'm glad to see that you two are having a wonderful time. Please, do be careful though, Master Link?" She spoke only out of concern, and with a slight inclination of her head, she turned away from them and went onward.

"She raises a good point. You should head up to bed," Zelda whispered.

"But we haven't had dinner."

"Are you going to be able to control yourself before dinner?"

"Um… yes."

"Are you?"

Link straightened, took a deep breath and exhaled, gave himself a little shake, and looked at her again. "Yes. I will be on my best behavior." The subtle change in his tone surprised her.

"Well. At the first instance of you speaking inappropriately, I will be sending you up to bed."

Link grinned and was going to say something completely inappropriate to hurry that process up, but they were descended upon by Herford, who was in a yellow tailed jacket with a deep green vest and cream pants with… little wooden sandals. Link stared at them, suspecting those were the type he was to receive a pair of.

"Your Majesty Queen Zelda," he introduced himself, bowing. Zelda dipped her head slightly. "I'm Marquis Herford DuVerne."

"The groom, then. Congratulations," Zelda replied.

"It is good to meet you. And of course, to see you again, Master Link?" Again, the quick scan over the clothes. Wasn't he wearing that earlier?

Meanwhile, Link was wondering how many carriages they needed just for this strange boy's clothes. "Yeah, good to see you again."

"Have you tried the canapés? They're delectable."

"The what?" Link asked, honestly confused.

"Yes, I have. They're quite good. How do you and Her Eminence plan to handle running two areas at once?"

"Oh, she and I are working out a schedule, I think. She'll be in Gerudo most of the year, I'll be on Prin most of the year."

"I've never been to Prin, is it nice?"

"Oh yes, quite. It's… cozy. Very friendly, great for fishing in the summer, not too cold in winter. I do hope to have Jalila out at some point. The locals have never met a Gerudo woman!" He laughed.

"So you're quite happy out there?" Zelda ventured.

"Oh, yes. It's quite convenient to run an island, and we'll use the connection with Gerudo to bring in some quality items from mainland for sale. Furniture and things."

"I'm glad to hear this will be beneficial for you," Zelda answered.

"Oh yes, quite good for us all." Herford didn't look entirely happy, but he was good at pretending. "Well. Glad to see you both could make it." He bowed to them, and took his leave.

"See?" Link whispered. "He's a total prick."

"Oh, stop it," Zelda nudged his shoulder, trying to hide her grin.

\

Link mostly sobered up during dinner, and by the time they headed upstairs he was more or less back to normal, and rather quiet and embarrassed.

"Sorry about all that," he mumbled.

"It's alright, but maybe watch yourself from now on." Zelda looked around and then lightly touched his hair and cheek. "Will I see you in the morning?"

"Yeah… " He stopped and started again. "Did you want to come in?"

She looked at him. The temptation was there, urging her onward. "I… shouldn't…" she admitted, slowly.

"Okay." Link seemed a little hurt, but he said nothing to that effect. "Then… I'll see you in the morning." He smiled and kissed her hand before turning to go into his room.

Zelda managed to wait for approximately seven minutes before she went into Link's room. He'd already taken off his boots and was working on his shirt when she came in, and he looked around in surprise.

"Uh, hey," he offered. "What's up?"

"I've missed you," she confessed, shutting his bedroom door behind her and walking over to him.

He understood her immediately, and he straightened up and waited for her.

"I missed you too," he returned, kissing her when she got close. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her close, and she put her cheek to his.

"Your heart pounds when I'm near you. Are you nervous?" she asked, intentionally brushing his ear with her mouth.

"No," he whispered. "What made you change your mind about coming in?"

"To be honest… I just want one night of restful sleep." She laughed half-heartedly.

"The nightmares."

"Always." She moved back slightly to look at him, touching his cheek.

"Should we lie down, then?"

He helped her out of her clothes until she was in a satiny underdress, and she climbed under the sheets while he stripped down and joined her, wrapping his arms around her protectively. Zelda lay awake with her thoughts, listening to Link's even breathing. Link lay there awake, thinking about the ruins, that terrible moment when they started to collapse. Impa hadn't warned him, but how could she have known that would happen?

"Are you asleep?" Zelda whispered after a few minutes.

"No."

"I can't sleep," she hissed.

"Are you uncomfortable?"

"I don't think so…"

Link let her go, and Zelda rolled on her different sides.

"It is as if my mind isn't ready for rest yet."

"Should we go for a walk?"

"Eh… I'm not dressed…"

"You can wear my coat," he offered.

"Alright, we'll try it."

Zelda climbed back out and Link stood, pulling on his pants and getting his coat from the chair he'd flung it on, putting it over her shoulders.

"Looks kinda good on you," he commented, and Zelda laughed. She buttoned it up and did a little turn. "No, I'm serious!" He pulled on his shirt and buttoned it up mostly, then chose to go barefoot, as did Zelda, and they left the room to wander the halls.

They knew the layout pretty well; the building was meant for quick and easy movement in case of emergencies. They wandered around outside as well, but Link was hesitant to have them go too far; he no longer had the compass that could lead them safely through the treacherous sands. It'd gotten lost once he reached the temple.

"You know, at night, it's not so bad," Zelda said quietly, looking out over the horizon.

"Yeah. It's actually a little cold out—keep the coat on, you're barely dressed."

Zelda looked up at the moon, but in the back of her head she could hear Jalila whispering about the excitement of almost being caught, outside and alone in the dark. She ignored it. Instead, she started walking again, heading to the garden, and Link followed along.

He'd been right, of course. The garden didn't look much better at night, though they did find some bugs and things. In the distance was a high-pitched howling, and Zelda looked towards it, her sense on high alert. "What was that?"

"Don't know. Maybe we should go back inside."

Zelda lingered, trying to find the source of the noise all the same.

"Come on, let's go back inside," he said again, tugging her arm. The noise had given him a chill. "Probably wild animals."

"Alright."

He kept her in front of him, so that if anything came after him, he could push her towards the door and turn to face… whatever it was. When they were safely inside the building, only then did he relax. This place had so many windows though, and for the night breeze they were left open to the elements. It was incredibly unsafe.

"At least we're staying on the second floor," he muttered as he followed Zelda back upstairs.

"Why?"

"All the windows everywhere."

"There's virtually no life outside of this castle."

"There has to be. How is she Empress of anything? Who does she actually rule?"

"I don't know, actually. I don't know if there are other settlements in the desert or anything. I think there's a town a mile west…" Her eyes went distant as she tried to remember. Soon they were at their rooms.

"So…" He hesitated, his hand on the handle of his door. "Either you have to give me my coat back, or…"

Zelda considered, then walked up. "Maybe I can try to get some sleep now," she whispered.

"Okay." He opened the door and let her in, following along behind. They climbed back into bed, and she pressed herself to his side, closing her eyes.

They laid there for a while. Link tried to look for a clock, but it was too dark. He shifted slightly, and Zelda sighed.

"You can't sleep either?"

"Nah."

"This is ridiculous." Zelda flopped onto her back and glared up at the ceiling. "I don't want to try to return to my room because of the nightmares, but I'm not even attempting to sleep here."

"Well… we don't have to sleep…" Link turned towards her and touched her cheek. Zelda turned her head and looked at him, wanting but unsure, her face red. He moved closer and kissed her, and then moved over top of her, gently touching her skin as he started to pull up her gown.

In the distance, thunder rumbled.


	14. Chapter 14

They never did get sleep, but for a while, they managed to doze, placated by their activities. At some point Zelda woke up and considered going back to her rooms. She even dressed and opened the door, but by some coincidence the door to her own room was opening, and she caught sight of Tilly shooing one of the slave men out of the room. The sun slowly crawled over the horizon, and soon, another day in the desert began.

Link and Zelda spent their morning together as was their routine, lying naked in the bed and kissing. Zelda was half on top of him, one hand gripping his arm for balance.

"I'll wake up early every day if it's like this," he said with a chuckle. "When I can lay with you properly, we'll have a thousand children if we're not careful."

"We'll be careful," she assured him. "My estate couldn't support a thousand children when Hyrule was booming."

He kissed her neck and stroked along her smooth back. "I hope you don't plan on buying too many dresses. I like you just like this."

Zelda laughed and blushed. "Look at it this way, you can always help me take them off."

"I hope you won't have to dismiss Tilly, you won't need help with that."

"Are you going to be willing to dress me as well, then?"

They started kissing again, and Zelda was considering going for it, lifting herself up slightly and Link staring up at her in adoration and anticipation when there was a knock on the damned door and some jerk came in followed by Jalila.

"Din's teeth!" Link cried, sitting up and almost smacking his face into Zelda's. Zelda shouted in warning, almost falling off the bed when she tried to duck behind Link. "Don't you knock?!"

"We did," Jalila pointed out.

"W… well at least give a man some time to get out of bed and get dressed!" He pulled up the bedsheets, trying to cover the two of them as best he could, but of course Zelda's clothes were puddled on the floor in plain sight.

"I apologize. I simply wish to inform you and Her Majesty that breakfast will soon be ready, if you would care to join us?"

"W… well why couldn't you've sent someone else to tell us."

"I had a thought that you would prefer discretion." Jalila smirked and left with a little wave.

Zelda lifted her head up, looking at the closed door, then at Link.

"We're miserable at sneaking around, aren't we?"

"… yeah. Yeah, we are." He sighed. "Might as well clean up and get dressed."

\

Absolutely nothing of interest happened over the next few days. Well, Zelda learned how to play some of the Gerudo card games, Link discovered his Cambri-based fan club, which unsettled him, though at least there were a few men, which gave him someone to talk to (even though they insisted on the clashiest of outfits).

And still, he and Zelda struggled for sleep. Maybe it was the stillness of the desert, the faint howling of the wind (and other things…) through the open windows, or just being in the enemy's territory, _his_ birth country, the very place where the instrument to Hyrule's undoing had grown up. Maybe being there had them on full alert, where sleep was impossible, because who knew what was waiting to strike?

Finally, the wedding.

The ceremony was held in the great hall, with rows and rows of chairs on either side of a long aisle. Link and Zelda sat together on the bride's side, and as promised, Jalila had gotten him some comfortable sandals, though they had little 'stilts' on the bottom that he had to learn to balance his weight on. Zelda wore a dress of a cottony, flowy material, in a soft lavender color.

Jalila's bridesmaids were several of her guards, of course, still wearing their swords (freshly polished and sharpened) and long dresses of red satin and chiffon. Jalila herself wore a dress of palest yellow, and her husband, Herford, wore one of his usual outfits in different shades of blue ("At least he stuck with one color this time," Link whispered to Zelda).

The ceremony was not what she expected; Jalila had a ring placed on her hand, and then earrings put into her ears by one of the bridesmaids. She then placed a ring on Herford's hand, but when she went to hand off earrings, he balked.

"My ears are sensitive," he whined.

Jalila stared at him, frozen, then handed the earrings to his best man. "Never mind it, then," she said with a nod.

"She took that rather well," Link muttered. Zelda shook her head slightly; Link obviously didn't see the way Jalila's back had straightened, her shoulders going back and her chin lifting up. The bridesmaids/guards tensed as well, and one of them even touched lightly at the handle of her sword.

The master of ceremonies delivered the final passages, the new couple kissed; Herford was rather more excited about it than his wife. They bowed together as they were announced Wife and Husband, then the women, all of the women, were ushered off to one part of the fortress to change for the reception, while the men were shuffled off to the other.

The women from Herford's side of the family were left in a sort of lounge room, with barrels of cool Hylian water (Zelda's gift) to drink from, as well as harder refreshments. Several guards and, to her surprise, Zelda, were brought along to Jalila's room to assist her in changing.

"That impertinent little shit," Jalila snarled as soon as they were shut in her rooms. She ripped off her veil and flung it to the floor, fuming, her nostrils flaring.

Zelda remained seated, the drink she'd been given forgotten in her hand.

"He was incredibly rude, Your Eminence," grumbled one of the guards.

"How dare he refuse the earrings? They are all about the symbol of two separate people! It's about carrying two halves of a whole with you all the time, like one's love!" cried another guard.

"His ears are sensitive? Well my damned eyes are sensitive but I haven't stopped him from wearing those damned tasteless clothes!"

Zelda stared at Jalila as she stormed around the room. Not only was this the first time she'd seen the Empress lose her calm, it was also frightening. How had she not noticed the similarities before?

Jalila kicked a wall and then sat down, slouching in a chair and glaring out a window. "Right prick," she hissed behind one hand. "If I'd had the money, if my damned fool brother hadn't used it all..."

She suddenly remembered the ruler of the country her brother had sought to ruin was sitting in the same room, and she glanced at Zelda, unapologetic for her feelings.

"I am sorry if I offended you," she muttered.

"He was a fool for refusing your tradition," Zelda said automatically, frightened of that anger. Was Jalila sure that women couldn't catch the desert curse?

Jalila sighed and closed her eyes, putting one hand to her head. "Thank Din that we'll be spending so little time together. Fucking ponce." She glanced around. "And I probably shouldn't have any boys until after tonight…"

"You truly don't plan on being faithful?" Zelda asked in surprise.

Jalila laughed, a few sharp, short barks. "I told you. I am not so cemented to this relationship as you are with your _hero_." She practically spat the word. "This is a marriage for money. It is the only marriage with honest intentions. We know exactly what we are getting from it."

She looked away, taking deep breaths. Her guards milled around uselessly, getting her dress for the reception ready.

"Believe this, Your Majesty," Jalila finally said. "A woman is not free when she is married."

"But… I want to marry him. I want to be with him."

"Then be a slave, a slave as much as my boys are. Love itself is a torture, and we are enslaved by it."

Zelda glared at her. "Then I will willingly give myself over as his slave, as he will do unto me."

"Puh. I study men, girl. They cannot be controlled. They cannot be ordered. They fight. They say oh, I am the stronger sex, this is my land. They have to own every mountain."

Zelda smiled strangely. "Not Link. I control him."

"Do you believe this? Do you have proof?"

"Yes. I do. I can tell him what to do, and he does it. No matter what. I can command him to silence, I can order him to subservience. If I told him to move Death Mountain, he would find a way. He would move rivers, he would drain the oceans, he would make a flower bloom in this desert, if I commanded it. I could even command him to kill, if needed." Zelda spoke too brashly, so angered and defensive was she.

Jalila grinned. "You must have a talented tongue to inspire this devotion."

"No. He has done this before I even touched him. Before I even dared to know him in that way."

Jalila looked at Zelda for a long time, considering. "Are you sure you are not part Gerudo?" she asked quietly.

"Not a drop."

Jalila shook her head. "Will he listen to me?"

"No. He is mine." Her tone was final.

"Then…" Jalila bowed her head. "You are truly the superior. All of my boys listen to any of the women here. I have yet to find one who will listen to only me." She took some water and drank slowly, her eyes closed, savoring it. "So clean. We're never able to take all the salt out of our water. I see now… why my brother envied your country."

"You do not have to envy us. We are allies now."

"Yes. We are." Jalila finished her glass. "Have you enjoyed your gift at all?" she asked, calm now.

"No. I am… saving it. For a special occasion."

"What kind of occasion? After all, today is a wedding. That is… special enough."

"No." Zelda shook her head. "We are waiting."

"For what? Life is short."

Zelda glanced around the room, but the guards were talking together of nothing.

"The other woman is pregnant with his child."

"Hm. If you can get to her, there is a common flower that can induce labor at any stage. It's a useful… accompaniment with the harebell."

Zelda shuddered. "No, that's horrible. It may not be his."

"But if it is, do you want a bastard waiting around to take your throne?"

"The child has no chance at the throne. I will demand the money owed in exchange for my silence on the child's parentage."

Jalila smiled again, wider, her teeth showing. It was a bit frightening. "You're a shrewd dealer, Your Majesty."

"One has to be, when her country is suffering."

"Yes. Well." Jalila stood. "I should probably dress and join our guests. If you want, you can go on ahead of me."

Zelda nodded, standing as well. "I will see you soon, Your Eminence."

\

As he'd been asked, Link refrained from drinking excessively at the reception. Zelda did not seem much in the mood for drinking either, nor dancing, so after the meals and the announcement of gifts (Jalila was much pleased with their gift of horses) and the cake and two or three dances, the two of them bowed out to head upstairs. Zelda went to her room at first, to check in with Tilly and to change into a more comfortable dress, while Link opened the curtains to the balcony. It was later than he realized; a narrow crescent moon had risen and the sand glimmered. Were it not for the waves, it would be almost indiscernible from the seaside.

He put his hands in his pockets and frowned; what was that his hand touched? He pulled the item out and realized it was a necklace. It took him some time to realize he'd bought it all the way back in winter, and had never bothered to give it to Zelda. It had been a frightening day. He shuddered at the memory.

His bedroom door opened and he turned, seeing Zelda there in her nightdress, which… frankly, was similar to her day dress.

"I told Tilly not to wait up for me. She understands why." Zelda walked over and stood next to him on the balcony, breathing in the salt air. "Such a shame… this town could be beautiful, if it wasn't for its poisonous influence."

"Yeah." He weighed the necklace in his hand. How could he possibly segue into giving it over from that? _It's not poisonous, but it is beautiful…_ Really? Was that the best he had in his sleep-deprived head?

Zelda looked at him with a smile, then down at his hands. "What's that?" She caught the glimmer of the chain out of the corner of her eye.

"Wh—oh. Um… I got this for you a while ago, but never got it to you." He opened his hand and showed it, and Zelda's eyes lit up.

"Oh! A necklace! Link, you rogue!" She kissed him and then turned around so that he could fix it on her neck, turning around when done. "It's beautiful, thank you." She kissed him again.

"Well, a beautiful necklace for a beautiful woman." Had he really just said that? So tacky! Zelda laughed and hugged him. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, and his heart was pounding.

\

They alternated between dozing and talking and touching, moving gently against each other. Link had the bright idea to lock his bedroom door at some point, so they felt fairly comfortable with leaving the sheets piled at the foot of the bed. Zelda examined the wound on his arm and frowned; it looked red and puffy, like it had gotten infected, and it wasn't healing as quickly as it had last time.

"Is there any cream or anything in here?" she asked him.

"Uh, I dunno. I haven't really looked much…"

She stood and looked around at the dresser, but there was hardly anything besides a brush and a shaving kit, and there was nothing in the bathroom.

"I'll ask Her Eminence later," Zelda muttered as she returned to the bed, defeated, and buried her face in the pillows. Link sat up and on a whim rubbed her back, and she sighed. "I hope we can sleep once we get home."

"I'm sure we'll be able to," he responded, kissing the back of her neck.

"Should we leave today? I do not know if I could bear another day of no sleep."

"If you don't have anything else to do, we can go."

"I admit, I'm a little nervous about home."

"I'm sure they're doing fine…"

"It'll be a month more until we reach it, though."

"Yeah, that's true." Something about that length of time gave Link pause. There was something about it that worried him. He rubbed Zelda's back to keep his hands occupied, and it struck him.

Verla would be giving birth soon.

He stopped rubbing Zelda's back, the memory of his possible child like cold water to the face. He sat back and Zelda turned over, her nightgown coming askew and revealing one breast. "What is it?"

"Um. Just… yeah, I miss home."

"Oh. Wait—Verla's due, isn't she."

Link nodded hesitantly. Zelda fixed her nightgown and sat up. "Yes, we should get going." She seemed hurried, but not angry, and she took Link's hands with her own and held them. "It is going to work out. You'll see."

\

Zelda went and spoke with Jalila to announce that they were leaving due to her concerns for the country, and Jalila said she understood and wished them a safe trip. In exchange for the generous amount of water they left, they were given goat jerky, rice, spices that were plentiful in Gerudo but rare outside of it, and several hardy plants, including a few bulbs and potted specimens of harebell that Jalila offered up to Zelda with a solemn wink.

They embraced and kissed each other's cheeks before Zelda climbed into her own carriage.

"Do write to me about Prin, if you ever go there," Zelda asked of her.

Jalila smirked. "Of course."

Marion had also embraced Zelda and told her to write if she ever found time, and Zelda assured her she would (but she would later pretend to forget). Link's troupe of followers made him a small monetary gift, as they knew of his struggles, and he thanked them, humbled and surprised.

And soon enough, they were off, Zelda staring out her window at the sea as they trundled out of the desert, Tilly quietly knitting. Zelda's mind was whirring, calculating the days; they had at least two months until the baby would be due for sure, if Link was the father. She doubted he would want her to attend the blessing ceremony with him, and she would certainly draw suspicion when the two countries had strained relations. Really, Link himself would draw suspicion as well, but he could explain they were longtime friends, at least.

Zelda stared out the window for a while, her brow furrowed. What would Jalila have done?

By the end of the trip(during which she did manage some sleep, so deep that when Ganondorf dared to show up in her nightmares she turned him away), she had some ideas, and it involved Tilly's help.

\

The castle was… alright, it seemed. Zelda's advisors immediately swarmed her when she came in, waiting patiently to tell her of all the changes that had happened while she was gone, and she selected them one at a time. The wall reparations around the castle were finished under budget, people had begun the planting with a sense of enthusiasm and purpose ("As they should, it's their food they're planting," she said with raised eyebrows), and the materials left from repairing the castle walls were being sent out to the villages for any reparations necessary there. All the better, that she knew her home was doing well.

But she still needed more funds.

A week after they'd arrived home and unpacked, Zelda was standing in her room, looking at the plant she'd brought with her from Gerudo. It was a little sad and wilty-looking, but she'd been watering it carefully, plucking the imperfect leaves and asking the kitchens to dry them for her own personal tea. It was hard to tell where leaves were missing, but she knew there'd been a few from the top that had been missing and had replacements growing in. She also had the bundle of dried leaves set aside on a cloth napkin for comparison.

"Tilly?" she asked, in an even but stern voice.

"Ah… yes, Your Majesty?" Tilly stood and waited to be addressed.

"Does this… is this plant missing extra leaves besides what I have plucked off?"

"Um… I cannot say for certain, Your Majesty."

"I believe it's been missing these leaves since before we left. There's ten leaves here in this pile, and it's missing… looks like twelve?"

"Ah…"

Zelda turned her head sharply and looked at Tilly, fixing her with a steely gaze. She wanted the girl frightened, realizing that Zelda was still, first and foremost, her ruler.

"I…"

"I saw you escorting a young man from my rooms back in Gerudo. Do you deny it?"

"N—no, Your Majesty," Tilly babbled immediately. Oh Nayru's eye, why did she give in?! He'd been so soft-spoken and kind, and he had a sweet smile…

"So you did have a young man in my rooms?" Zelda took a step towards Tilly.

"I—yes, yes Your Majesty, I did!"

"Hm. And you… copulated with him? In my bed, I assume?"

"No! Not in your bed, Your Majesty. In my own trundle, I swear it."

"Hm." Well, Zelda could hardly berate her for that, it wasn't as if she'd been in the room. "Do you know what this flower is, Tilly?"

"It's… a present from Her Eminence?"

"Beyond that."

"A Gerudo flower?"

"Stop being obtuse!" Zelda's hands were in fists. She hated to admit it, but this was a little fun.

"It—I—Dhiren told me that… that it was a flower that… that prevents pregnancy, and… I did! I took a few leaves, Your Majesty, I apologize, please forgive me!"

Tilly sank to her knees and covered her face with her hands, ashamed. Zelda put one hand to the top of her head. "At least you were smart enough to prevent a problem," she murmured. "Not all women are so intelligent. Like… the Vicereine of Termina."

"Your Majesty?" Tilly was trembling slightly, but curious as to where this was going.

"Tilly. Are you completely loyal to my crown?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, absolutely."

"Would you be loyal to Master Link, if he were part of the crown some day?"

"Without question."

"You may stand, Tilly," she said, stepping back. Tilly stood, not daring to meet Zelda's eyes.

"I need you to do something for me."

"Anything, Your Majesty."

"You are to attend a blessing ceremony for the Vicereine of Termina, once she has her child. You are to attend alone, dress as plainly as possible, and talk to no one except her."

"What will I say?"

"That depends. You see… she believes that her child is sired by Link. There may be a chance of this. After all, he knew her growing up. When you go to the blessing ceremony, I want you to look closely at the child, as closely as you can. If the child does not resemble Master Link, you can leave the ceremony without a stop, and she will be none the wiser."

"If it does?"

"You are to ask her to follow you to your lady's carriage for congratulations, as your lady has difficulty walking. In the carriage will be one of my ladies-in-waiting. She and the Vicereine may… exchange some words. If my lady-in-waiting signals to you, with a knock on the window or some such, then you are to immediately run and find the Viceroy and hand him a message that I will give you the day you are to travel."

Tilly nodded solemnly.

"Can you do what I ask?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Good."

"When is the ceremony?"

"I am not sure, but I will tell you when I find out. It will be soon. You are to tell _no one_ of this assignment."

"I will not, Your Majesty."

"I know."

/

Verla was screaming.

The day was beautiful out; puffy white clouds dotting the sky, the sun bright but not overwhelming, warm breezes from the south combing over the land and the birds singing and chatting as they fed their young. These warm breezes and bird song did little to aerate the stink of shit and blood from the birthing room, where a fire was burning at high heat to keep water warm for cleaning the sheets and the baby.

Verla was hunched up over her massive belly, pushing, sweat soaking her hair and back. Her mother was there, telling her it was always difficult the first time, but that it would get better if she kept pushing. The midwife and her attendants were keeping a watchful eye on a place only her husband (and Link) had previously visited.

"There's the head!" the midwife bellowed. She glanced up at Verla, her mouth pinched and her eyes bright. "Don't you dare relax now, you fool, the hardest bit is yet to come."

"It gets worse?!" Verla asked desperately, her eyes wet with tears.

"Yes, now push, damn it all!"

Verla gritted her teeth so hard her jaw creaked, and she screamed through them as she pushed and strained, her calves cramping with her strain and why was her bitch mother here and this was all Link's fault and she hated this damned lump of flesh, would drown it in the lake as soon as she could get away

Then the sudden release, like pushing a heavy stone with… well, not her hands, and the screaming, flailing, blood-covered _thing_, and the midwife turning to demand a clean, damp cloth. Verla collapsed back on the pillows, staring at the ceiling. Something else passed from her body, but she paid it no mind.

The midwife snipped the cord protruding from the baby's stomach, and then it was swaddled and presented, finally, to its mother.

"A baby boy, My Lady. Healthy and ready for the world."

Verla could hardly summon the strength to sit up, but her mother pushed her upwards and forced her to take the boy in her arms. The baby fussed a little more, but turned into his mother's smell and warmth with only stifled sobs. Verla stared at him for a long time, and tears started to run down her face. How could she have ever considered, ever thought, of drowning this… child? Her child? How could she conceive of doing anything less but loving him with all of her being? She sobbed, her tears dripping into her ruined bedclothes.

"My beautiful boy," she whispered. "My lovely son."

\

Link frowned when he was presented with a letter one day at breakfast.

"Who's it from?" he asked, not knowing the seals like Zelda did. She immediately saw it was from Termina and went still.

"Termina, sir."

Link glanced at Zelda. She shrugged one shoulder innocently and went back to eating her breakfast. Link picked up his butter knife and cut the seal, unrolling it. He sighed.

"It's an invitation… to a blessing ceremony," he muttered.

"Oh. She had her child, then?" Zelda spoke lightly. She was determined to no longer lash out at Link over his involvement with Verla.

"Suppose so. 'The blessing of Mikal Anders D'Angrive', apparently."

"That is a nice name," she commented.

"Yeah, I guess." He sighed and rolled it up. "It's just an invite for me, I'm afraid."

Zelda smiled politely at him. "That is perfectly alright with me. You know I wouldn't want to have another altercation with Viceroy D'Angrive."

Link looked at her closely, trying to determine if she meant it. He decided she did, and he nodded slightly. "Thank you."

"When is it?"

"In a month's time, at the… Terminian Hall of Peace, early afternoon."

One of the guards whistled, impressed. Link and Zelda looked at him.

"I'm just sayin'… I had a cousin who got married there and I swear, the ceremony and rental of the place was more than the rest of the wedding." He shrugged.

Zelda looked back to Link. "Do you have an outfit?"

"Eh, I was thinking something low-key, a... departure from my usual outfits. I kinda want to… be discreet."

"Understandable. I can escort you to the shop I purchased your previous clothes from?"

"Uh, just the name. I kinda want to… do this on my own."

Zelda nodded. "Of course." She smiled, and finished her tea.

\

He went to the accounting room and was updated on his current balance, though the number seemed a little higher than it should've been. Nonetheless, one of the accountants explained that, due to security, he should request any bills of purchase be delivered to the castle for payment.

Zelda had a maid send him a note with the name and a quick little map of the tailor she had used for his other garments, and Link headed out into the marketplace to get fitted. It no longer seemed quite so… intimidating. It wasn't as busy as it'd been during the fair, though there were still destitute people sitting in the corners, ignored. He had no change left to give them. The sun was bright and the air was warm; this would be a good summer for the plants, he could tell.

Zelda's neat handwriting was easy to follow, and he found himself before a beautiful, old-fashioned shop with wide windows full of example items that had been crafted. Link hoped the Cambrisian style would not be catching on as he looked at the tailored jackets.

He walked in and was greeted warmly by the tailor, who was checking some new material he'd ordered in; ornately embroidered cottons, lightweight linen materials for women's summer clothing, and low luster satins in a multitude of colors.

"Ah! Master Link! It is good to see you for a change." He looked the outfit Link was dressed in with approval. "She almost got your measurements on; looks like the shoulders are a little wide?"

"Uh… it fits okay," Link said with a shrug.

"Well. What can I do for you? A new outfit?"

"Uh, yeah, nothing too flashy."

"What's the occasion?"

"A uh… a blessing. For a child."

"A blessing? A relative of yours?"

"Yeah. Well, a friend."

The tailor nodded and gestured. "Well, pick a color. Her Majesty is rather fond of you in green, I know. It is sort of your trademark."

"Yeah, I uh… I want to avoid that."

"Oh? Something different?"

"Well, you know, don't want to divert attention away from the uh, baby."

The tailor smiled. "Of course. Very wise choice. So. No green, then. Blue? Red?"

"No. Um… how about grey?"

The tailor raised an eyebrow. How secret did he wish to be?

"I do not recommend a grey or a black, sir. Not for an event for celebrating life, if you don't mind my saying."

"No, no, I appreciate it. Um… how about…" Link looked around. Blue seemed safe.

He worked with the tailor, selecting a middle ground of grey and blue, a sort of soft slate colored silk. The tailor began selecting trims, going with an offwhite, and at Link's request he promised to keep the trim minimal. Then caramel-colored pants of breezy linen, and Link would wear the embroidered boots he'd been saving.

"And when do you need the outfit, sir?"

"Well, the event is in a month, and it'll take like… I think a week or so to get there, so…"

"Ah, a rush order." The tailor smiled and nodded his head. "I will work quickly."

"Can you send to the bill to the castle in my name?"

"Of course."

The man took Link's measurements to make sure of the best fit; Zelda's eyes were good, but it was always better to check. He told Link he would like to do a second fitting in a week's time, and Link told him to just send a message, and the tailor agreed.

Then he left the shop, and, with nothing better to do, he wondered whether or not he should pick up a gift for the child, as he believed was customary. He wandered through the marketplace, which was recovering and less anemic (especially with the good weather) and looked around, but he decided it would be best if he brought nothing that might tie him to the child. If need be, he could make a small donation (not that Verla would need money, apparently).

Bored and listless and unsure of what he wanted, he returned to the castle area, then cut around and went to the gardens. The plants were blooming slowly, and the air smelled fresh. He shook his shoulders, feeling that urge to get away, to be somewhere else, anywhere. He left and went to the stables.

Epona was much healed, and she whinnied in greeting. He hugged her gently around the neck and kissed her snout, talking to her. They had some replacement stablehands now, just two (at Link's insistence) and they were doing… a fair job. Now that Link had returned, he was hoping to instill some higher standards in them. This was the _royal_ stable, for Farore's sake.

But he readied Epona himself and led her out, and then they took off running through the great field of Hyrule, over the grass that was growing in lush and green (he assumed all over, except for the well-worn paths and… that spot), towards small brooks where Epona lapped at the water. The birds were singing and he could see nature overcoming Ganondorf's destruction and righting itself.

He rode for some time, looking over the estate, and doubted marrying Zelda; would he still be able to take off like this? Would he still be able to live like a wild forest boy once in a while, drinking from springs and cooking his own meals (self-caught!) over a fire he built himself? Or would he be forced to meals he didn't touch or see until the end of the process, so swamped in paperwork that he couldn't dig his way out? Zelda had told him once she had no intention of letting him take over (in a far nicer way), but he would want to help her, regardless.

He sat out in the grass for a while as Epona munched on the crisp green stuff, finding it a delicious alternative to the grains and oats that she… liked, but was getting tired of. What if they bought the ranch? How had the proceeds from that gone, anyway? He'd forgotten to ask Zelda about it, but she'd been rather distant and busy, rarely coming to his room and only talking a bit before retreating to her own.

Had he offended her? Had Verla's pregnancy reminded her of his past and turned her against him? After everything…?

How could it matter? How could he be so torn between the wilderness and a woman? Couldn't he have both?

Eventually, as the sky turned golden red, he stood and climbed back onto Epona, and rode back to the castle. If it was his child, and Zelda rejected him for it, then… then he would know what his future held, and he would live with it.

He returned to the castle and cleaned Epona up, putting away her gear. He absently rubbed the numb skin on his arm and flexed his fingers, then applied more salve to her hind before giving her another kiss on the nose and leaving the stable.

He paused just outside the door, looking at the castle, at his possible future. Bravely, he headed forward, back into the castle.

\

Zelda felt that she'd done enough work for the night, and so she shut her books and paused, considering. She hadn't spent much time with Link, having to play catch up with over two months' worth of problems (despite the invaluable help of her assistants and ladies-in-waiting), and since she could not stand to spend another minute staring at the dwindling amount of money in their vaults, she decided to see how he was.

He was rather surprised when he heard the knock at his front door, and he climbed off his bed, where he'd been thinking (brooding) and answered.

"Oh, hey."

"Hello." Zelda walked in and he shut the door behind her.

"Everything okay?"

Zelda considered. "Yes, as well as it can be. What about you?"

"Eh. I suppose… I'm a little nervous."

"Oh?"

They sat down at the small table.

"Yeah. The… ceremony."

Zelda laid her hand over his and squeezed. "It is going to be alright."

"What if the child is mine?"

"What about it?" She shrugged her shoulders. "We will have the child announced as a bastard, and it will negate the child's claim to the throne."

"But… it seems sorta… harsh. We're marking the kid for life."

"He will be marked regardless, if he looks like you. People will know."

"I don't want it to hurt Verla's marriage."

Zelda stroked his hand soothingly. "It is not yours to worry over." She wanted that marriage ruined, she wanted Verla to know heartache—was Jalila sure the desert curse didn't affect women? Zelda took a deep breath and released it slowly, calming herself. "I don't want it ruined either, but this is how these things happen. Would you have wanted her to have… terminated the pregnancy?"

"I dunno. Maybe." He looked at Zelda, surprised and relieved to see how empathetic and rational she was being. There was no tearing out of her hair, there was no hysteria at the very thought of Verla. There was simply Zelda, trying to help him with his problem as much as he had tried with hers. He was struck, so suddenly, with a wave of gratitude and love for her that he pulled her over to him, hugging her tightly.

Zelda was caught off guard and almost lost her balance when he grabbed her, but she recovered, hard, off the table with one elbow and clung to him.

"Thank you," he whispered in her ear, "for understanding."

"Of course," she replied. "I love you."

He kissed her longingly. Damn it all, he would give up the forests, the fields, cooking outdoors and sleeping under the stars to stay with her now. He slowly let her go so that she could right herself, and she was looking at him in shock. That was… not what she expected.

"I love you," he answered, "and I want to be with you. Forever. Even if I… if I can't go riding out in the fields anymore, or live off the land alone, or—

"Whoever said anything about that?" Zelda raised her eyebrows, looking at him in surprise. "You can do those things as king. Sure, you would need a few guards by, and I'd at least like to know when you plan on doing so, but…"

He felt like a fool for all his moping earlier in the day—of course he'd be able to run the fields on Epona! Why couldn't he? He would be king, after all! Who would dare to say no to him?

Zelda laughed and hugged him close again. "Is that what you've been fretting about? Losing who you are? I mean, you won't be able to do so all the time, but you'll… you'll still be my wild ranch hand at heart." She touched his chest, smiling at him. "The only thing that will change, will be that… that we don't have to be so private. And there will be more people bowing and scraping before you, but…"

"Eh, but I don't want that."

She moved her hand up to his cheek. "Then you can ask them not to."

Link shook his head. "Are you even sure I'll be any good at it?"

Zelda kissed him. "You will be fine." She kissed him again, to make sure he knew she meant it, and then he kissed back so of course she had to kiss him again, and then she let it escalate so that he was putting his hands up her skirt, pulling her onto his lap by her waist and settling her so that she straddled him, pinning him helplessly in the chair. He kissed her neck and undid the front of her dress with one hand, the other one reaching to touch her.

Zelda gasped. It was as if every time was the first time he touched her. She shivered in pleasure and kissed him, pressing into his hand with excitement. He struggled to undo her dress in the front and she helped him, careful of the seams.

"When we have a good crop," he spoke into the skin above her breasts, "I will buy you all the dresses we can afford so that I can tear them off you."

She laughed, her voice breathy. "I would like to have… a few dresses intact…" Zelda kissed him fiercely, turning his face up to hers with her hands.

"My queen," he whispered.

"Yes," she answered, looking into his eyes.

"I want you," he answered her, a little louder, the words coming out growly because of his still-affected throat. It seemed to be a permanent thing for him.

Zelda looked at him, considering, tempted. She had something to counteract any… planting now, and he did love her, and she'd been ready to have him for _months_ at this point.

"Please," she asked him, touching his face. "Take me."

He didn't ask if they should move, he didn't ask if she was comfortable or had a plan for afterwards if… something should happen. He stared up at her, undoing his pants quickly with his hand and setting his jaw. He put his other hand to the small of Zelda's back, pulling her closer and helping to guide her, to make it a little easier. Slowly, he lifted her up, one hand cupping her backside, and then he let her down again, closing his eyes in pleasure and shuddering.

"It might hurt," he said suddenly, thinking to warn her.

"What?" And then she realized what he meant, and she winced and tensed up, and Link gasped and pulled her down a little faster, until they were fit together like a puzzle. He held her in place, his throat dry and his face pressed against her neck. Zelda stroked his hair and kissed his temple, trying to accustom herself to this new feeling.

"Are you ready?" he asked against her collarbone.

"Yes," she assured him (both of them, really), and then he started to lift her up, moving her atop of himself, his face stern in concentration. Zelda soon picked up his rhythm and pressed her feet into the floor, helping him. He moved one hand back up her skirt and she leaned her head back, shuddering and moving faster, grabbing the back of the chair with her hands.

They moved faster, and faster. Link kissed her chest, found a nipple with his mouth and bit it, suckled it. Zelda gripped his hair and gave it a little twist, crying out—so much for being discreet. In response, Link moved harder, rougher, moving within her without regard for her unfamiliarity with the process.

"Oh Goddesses," she moaned, panting. "Oh Link, oh."

And then he grabbed her hard by the hips and held her against him, giving several quick, hard thrusts.

"_Din's breath_," he grunted, suddenly still and resting his damp forehead against her chest, panting. Shyly, Zelda reached down between them and touched herself until her body went rigid and then suddenly, blissfully limp.

He kissed the top of her breasts and then buried his face in them while she sat, curled atop of him. When Zelda felt her legs cramping she stood up, and Link mumbled and reached for her.

"Are you half-asleep?" she asked, laughing.

"No," he lied, blinking hard and trying to focus on her face.

"Come on, that chair can't be comfortable."

"Mm." He forced himself up and walked with her to the bed. Zelda stopped him and pulled his clothes off, and he did the same for her, then they both climbed into the bed and curled up together, Link at Zelda's back, kissing her neck and gently cupping her breasts from behind. She pressed her back against his chest, feeling quite warm and content.

"What now?" Link asked after a pause, squeezing.

"I don't know," she replied. "I should… I'll have to get cleaned up at some point, I know."

"Hrm."

"What about you?"

"I dunno. Might sleep for a bit."

"That sounds like a good idea."

He kissed her neck. In response, Zelda rolled over and kissed him, putting her hands again to his face, licking at the part of his lips until he opened his mouth to her. Link pushed at her, rolling her over onto her back and climbing over top of her, and this time it was so much easier, so much slower, and she moved with him, sighing in contentment. Link was gentler this time, lingering when they kissed, looking into her face often and touching her cheek or her hair, as if she would leave if he didn't.

"You look concerned," Zelda finally said, her hands on his shoulders.

"Do I?"

She slowed him down until he was stopped but still with her, and she kissed him. "I'm not going to leave you." She looked him in the eyes, feeling very calm, even when bringing her up, and not just because of her plan. "I promise you."

Link nodded and settled down atop of her, resting his cheek on her chest and softening out of her. He smiled a little, as her heart was pounding.

\

Their sleep was deep and dreamless. At one point, very early, Zelda slipped out of his arms and pulled on his shirt, and headed to her rooms through the secret passage. Her room was dimly lit, Tilly sleeping on her side as usual. Zelda walked as quietly as she could to her dresser, looking at the plant. She hesitated, then plucked one large, waxy leaf, and looked it over. She sniffed it, but it had just a faint, grassy smell. She bit off a small piece and a sharp, bitter taste flooded her mouth, and she pulled the piece out, scraping her teeth on her tongue. It left a fuzzy, thick feeling behind in her mouth. But she could not be pregnant yet, and if eating one little leaf would prevent it…

She stuffed the whole thing in her mouth and chewed furiously, taking short little breaths through her nose and swallowing as fast as she could get it down, swallowing, but that itchy furry feeling was thick on her tongue so she poured herself some water from a convenient pitcher and glass, and drank eagerly. It helped. She had a second glass, then, glancing at Tilly to see how she was, Zelda returned to Link's room, stripping and climbing back under the covers, curling up against his warm body.

\

When she next woke up, Zelda realized that Link had been awake for some time, looking at her.

"What is it?" she asked, smiling a little.

"Don't know," he said with a shrug, taking up a lock of her hair and twirling it. "It's early again, isn't it?"

"Yes."

He was silent, looking at the ends of her hair, and he sighed. "Why now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well. We've been fighting it and fighting it—"

"I don't want to fight it anymore. I don't want to resist you. I want to yield to you."

"Then… so are you forgiving me for being… with her before?"

"There is nothing to forgive. You did nothing wrong." Zelda put her hand on his, squeezing. "You loved someone. That's all."

"Why this sudden turnaround?" He looked at her, all curiosity.

"Because… because if she is the mother of your child, the last thing you will need is my jealousy. And you don't deserve to be treated so distrustfully, and I love you, and I want to support you through the difficult time ahead, because you've done the same for me for months."

"Okay." He relaxed and kissed her, resting his head back on the pillow. "Okay."

Zelda smiled and propped herself up on her side, leaning over him and kissing him.

"Again?" he whispered, putting a hand on her side.

"Why not?"


	15. Chapter 15

Tilly held her tongue, but there were many such jokes and whispers that Zelda no longer slept in her room at all. The castle was simply holding its breath, waiting for the two of them to get on with it and announce their betrothal. It was obvious in the way they talked to each other at the dinner table. Zelda kept her tone light and formal, but her eyes were full of warmth and she leaned toward him when she talked to him. And he was terrible at hiding it; his longing for her in every second was obvious in the care he took helping her onto her horse, when he followed her obediently when she asked for his accompaniment out in the gardens or to the stables, and even when he insisted she take more of his food from his plate.

The gardener had said nothing about the bulbs she brought him for planting, even though he suspected the nature of the flower from Gerudo; there were few plants from Gerudo that came from a bulb and were hardy enough for Hylian weather. But if his queen wanted it planted, he would do as asked.

The week passed. The tailor came to the castle with a package, and Link requested he come to his rooms for a fitting.

"It is good to see you, sir!" the tailor said brightly. "I believe the outfit is near finished."

"Great, great. Yeah, um… okay."

The tailor set the package down on the table and opened it up, revealing the gorgeous blue coat inside, edged with a trim of a similar, if slightly more grey, shade, and he lifted the garment carefully, shaking out some of the folds and wrinkles.

"Is that the shirt you plan to wear, sir?"

Link looked at his plain white shirt, his favorite. "Uh, yeah. Is that okay?"

"Certainly. You may want to try the pants on first."

"Oh. Right." Link took the pants and changed in his bathroom where he could shut the door, and adjusted them a bit when he came back out, the tailor preparing his pins and marking chalk and measuring ribbon on the table.

"They seem a little tight," he complained, tugging at them.

"They're supposed to be, but if you want I could let them out a little…"

"Yeah, if you could. I mean, how'm I supposed to breathe?" Link joked.

"And now the jacket…"

Link slipped it on; it was a little wide in the shoulders and the biceps and long in the arm, and the tailor made notes with his marking chalk, his mouth full of pins as he muttered to himself, making the minor adjustments with the pins.

"And you're sure this won't stand out too much?" Link asked hesitantly.

"No sir, I'm sure you'll fit in just fine in such a discreet color."

He finished his measurements and Link removed the garments to hand them back, putting his comfortable pants back on.

"Not many changes, I hope to have it done in the week."

"Thank you."

"Thank you for your patronage, sir."

And the tailor left.

Link looked at himself in the mirror once the tailor was gone. He stripped off his shirt and looked at his arm; the cut was about healed. He shrugged and got out his little dagger, sitting down to start the process. He was halfway through removing the stitches when Zelda knocked and came in; she saw the tailor leaving and was eager to see what Link thought.

"So! How was the fitting—" She stared. "Link!"

"Hey. It was good."

"What are you doing?!" Zelda rushed over and stopped him, taking the dagger from his hand.

"I'm taking the stitches out!"

"At least call the doctor!"

"I'm not calling a doctor for every scrape and scratch!"

"This isn't a scrape!"

"It's fine!" He grabbed his knife back from her. "I'll be careful."

He managed to pluck out two more stitches with Zelda fidgeting in nervousness before she stopped him again.

"Can I do it? I'm just worried you'll cut yourself."

Link handed the dagger over. "Yeah."

Zelda sat down in the other chair and leaned in close, plucking out the last of the stitches carefully.

"So, how was the fitting?" she tried again, calmer.

"Eh. It was good. He's gotta make some adjustments." Link watched her working, her brow slightly furrowed in thought. "Did you want to uh… " He spoke a little quieter. "Did you want to go with me?"

Zelda shook her head slightly. "No. We would be too conspicuous." She looked at him and smiled, to reassure him. "This is… a personal event for you. I couldn't."

"Okay. I just thought I'd ask again."

"Fair enough." Zelda removed the last stitch and set the thread down on the table, taking Link's hand and squeezing it. "Your fingers are cold, are you alright?"

"Yeah, they just go numb sometimes."

"They go _numb_?!"

Link sighed. "It's nothing, just once in a great while when I get too cold."

"Oh, but…"

"My hands are functional, okay?"

"Well I know _that._" She shook her head and smiled a little. "I just want you to be well."

"Yeah, I know. I'll be fine. If it lasts too long, I'll go to the doctor. I promise."

She kissed him. "Thank you."

"Should… should I get a gift for the… baby?" It was still so hard to think about.

"No. I wouldn't. But of course, that is me."

"Yeah. I… maybe I won't."

They sat in an uncomfortable silence, the first in a while for them.

"Are you worried?"

"Yeah. I am."

Zelda understood and she simply nodded, rubbing his hands. Again, a silence settled over them.

"How's… how's the castle? The accounts?" Link asked, to break it.

"It's… been better. Much better. We're down to just under forty thousand rupees."

"What was it spent on?" Link raised his eyebrows.

"The travel costs for our vacation, bringing in feed for the horses, and of course they are starting to build the new stable add-on."

Link whistled in a low tone. "That's a lot of money."

"Yes." She sighed and rubbed her temple, feeling a little headache starting. Link frowned, remembering again the horrible screaming. He'd never heard Epona cry like that. He wanted to hunt them down. He bit back his anger and looked again at Zelda, and noticed she was still wearing the necklace; he didn't think he'd seen her without it once.

"How uh… how is planting?"

"According to the reports, it's been going well. Most of the fields have been set up and seeded, and now it's just watering and waiting for growth. It's been a mild season so far, but I'm not sure how long that is going to stay." She leaned back in the chair and exhaled. "With my luck, we'll have a huge storm that will wash out the crop."

"I'm sure it'll go fine. And… were you going to sell the ranch?"

Zelda wrinkled her nose. "Well. We… while its in my estate, I'm borrowing its land. I don't want to sell it until after harvest."

"Oh… are you growing crop there?"

"Yes. Part of the money is going towards some updating and renovations there, and carting supplies for the farming company that is working there. I haven't heard from Jalila if she is sending some of the Gerudo to help with harvest, but I'm sure she's busy on her… honeymoon."

"Well, I'm glad the ranch can still be helpful before it's sold off."

"As am I. I've decided it might be wise to have… reserve wheat stores, to sell or… to store."

"That sounds like a good idea. If that's what the ranch goes towards, I'm all for it."

Zelda nodded and sighed, standing up. "Unfortunately, I cannot stay. I still have some problems to attend to, and if I stay here any longer I may be distracted."

"Anything I can help with?" he offered immediately, and Zelda shook her head, smiling.

"No, nothing yet. But hopefully I will come back later."

"I hope so," he answered with a grin. Zelda managed to blush a little and he walked her to the door, kissing her.

"I love you," he told her, his eyes bright.

"I love you," Zelda responded, kissing him again before finally tearing herself away. She couldn't keep getting distracted.

Zelda went to her room and was about to head directly to her writing desk when she heard some crying, and she went still. "Tilly?"

She looked into her bedroom and saw the girl getting up from the foot of her little bed, hastily wiping her face on her apron.

"Y-yes, Your Majesty?" Her face was blotchy and her nose was running. She did her best to sniff quietly.

"What is it? Why are you crying in the dark?"

"Uh, well." She sniffed again. "It's nothing of any concern, Your Majesty, just a minor trifle."

"Are you sure?"

"Y-yes."

Zelda looked at her carefully, trying to decide if it was worth pursuing. She had a little time, so she motioned for Tilly to sit at the little table in the main room.

"Tell me. What has you sobbing?"

"Well. Um. The… the young man in Gerudo… Dhiren, his name was. I… I just miss him terribly."

Zelda was surprised. "Did you spend so much time with him?" she asked.

"Actually, Your Majesty, I did spend a good deal of time with him."

"I assume this was the young man you shooed from my rooms that one night?"

"Yes." Tilly flinched, still embarrassed she got caught.

"So…"

Tilly blushed. "So, I grew to love him, Your Majesty. He seemed very intelligent, in the few ways he could show it when we walked together through the castle. And… well, I am crying because I miss him terribly. And his life there seemed so very bleak and empty…"

Zelda nodded in consideration. "Well. If you do as I have asked you about the other matter, then I will see what I can do about having Dhiren brought here." She could always use more guards, or at least someone who could help tend the gardens or the land in the ranch.

"I will do my best, Your Majesty, you have my word."

"And you have mine. Now, could you draw me a bath?"

\

Link's outfit was finished and delivered to him a few days before he had to head out, alongside the bill. It was a princely sum, but he ran to the accounting room with the slip, collected the amount from his savings, and soon had a little bag he handed over in payment to the tailor's apprentice.

"Thank you for your patronage, sir," the tailor's apprentice said with a deep bow, and Link nodded and thanked him for the outfit. He headed directly to his room and tried it on again, finding the fit was perfect, and he hung it up in his closet.

He then rented a plain carriage as opposed to using one of the royal ones, to distance himself from the castle and Zelda, should anyone catch on to who he was. Zelda had the same idea for Tilly, so that Link would not see a royal carriage and turn suspicious. She had to know if it was his child, and if it was, she _had_ to find a way of keeping Verla from ever trying for the throne through Link.

Hence her plan.

Zelda called Odelia to her rooms. It wasn't that she didn't trust Tilly; she trusted the girl with her life, in fact. But she was unsure of Tilly's recitation abilities, and she wanted someone who could have a position of power over Verla.

Odelia entered hesitantly, bowing her head and remaining standing until Zelda bid her sit.

"What can I do for you, Your Majesty?"

Zelda considered, looking at Odelia, chewing her lower lip.

"Can I trust you, Odelia?" she asked her, suddenly.

"Absolutely, Your Majesty. With anything. I'm… I'm completely loyal to the crown." Odelia was mystified, but determined.

Zelda nodded to herself and folded her hands in her lap. "The man I love… had… a woman before me."

Odelia waited.

"She recently gave birth to what we suspect is his child."

"Oh."

"She also owes the royal estate taxes somewhere around fifty thousand rupees, and she refuses to pay."

"My word."

"Yes. The blessing ceremony is in a week, on the edge of Termina. I will be sending you there in a rented carriage with my maid, Tilly."

Odelia nodded.

"You are to stay in the carriage. Tilly will go and watch the ceremony. If Tilly comes back alone, there is nothing to worry about."

"And… if she doesn't?"

Zelda was silent, then licked her lips. "She may come back with a woman. You are to invite the woman in, to sit with you."

Zelda stood and Odelia watched as she went to her desk, collecting some papers and setting them down again between them.

"You are to ask her to sign these documents, and to make a payment of fifty thousand rupees to Hyrule."

Odelia looked the papers over, noticing the title of one form- 'Declaration of Renounced Parenthood'. "And if she refuses?"

"That 'your' maid, being Tilly, has a message for her husband that I am sure she will not want him to receive, regarding her child's father, and on your indication, a knock on the glass, she will go to do so."

Odelia looked through the papers a bit longer, then looked at Zelda, who seemed cold and powerful as she looked back, her gaze level.

"Your Majesty…"

"This woman threatens and insults my country. She abandons her home without paying taxes on it, laughs in my face while hoarding and flaunting her millions, and has the audacity to approach my beloved, to try to lure him away when she was the one who turned him out. She is a harlot and a shrew, and I will _not_ let her continue to dangle her previous liaison with Link over my head, not when with a few short words to her _obnoxious _Viceroy husband I can reveal that she is a slut and a liar."

Zelda spoke very rapidly in an angry tone, her fists clenched. Odelia stared, a little terrified and in awe of her queen.

"It's… the Vicereine of Termina?" she asked, because it seemed safest.

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "Do you plan to reveal this to anyone?"

"No. I would sooner die."

Zelda nodded once, but whether she was confirming Odelia's question, or agreeing that her answer was acceptable, she did not say.

"Are you willing to do everything I ask?"

"Yes."

"And what is that?"

"Invite her in. Have her sign the papers renouncing Link as the father. Demand a payment of fifty th… will she even have that amount on her? She could simply say she does not, and refuse to send it later. If you let slip to the Viceroy then you will have nothing over her."

"Her engagement ring will serve as collateral. It will be sent back once payment is received." Zelda's anger had abated in light of this sudden hole she hadn't expected, and now she was trying to think.

"Could she not simply buy a replacement?"

"If she does not send the requested amount within one month…" Zelda sighed in frustration. "Damn it all. Even when I have a plan I cannot think of everything. Perhaps…"

"Your Majesty. That is exactly the deal. Take the engagement ring as collateral, with trust that the payment will be made within a month of the initial delivery. If not, keep the ring. Tell her husband." Odelia's tone was subdued and a little horrified.

Zelda sighed. "Then it is all worked out."

"Your Majesty, are you sure about this?" Odelia hesitated, then reached and put a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Is this the path you want to take?"

"Absolutely. I need to do this."

"Why?"

"To save Hyrule. To protect it in the future. To protect… any children I have, and their legacy."

Odelia nodded slowly. "You are going to marry him, aren't you." It wasn't really a question.

"Yes. I am. And it is the only way I can think… to get Hyrule the money it needs to survive without compromising… what he and I have. I could not reject him now."

Odelia sighed. "I will do my best to help you, Your Majesty. For the crown."

"Thank you, Odelia."

"It is my duty."

Odelia stood to take leave and bowed.

"Am I so awful?" Zelda asked her. "Am I truly horrible for this?"

Odelia hesitated. "In light… of Hyrule's current economic state… no. I think that you are just very desperate and very worried, and… maybe only a little vengeful."

"The only reason I ask for that amount… that is what she owes in taxes to Hyrule. Many other noble people owe more and have not paid."

"Ah." Odelia's expression softened slightly. "Then… I shall do my best."

"Thank you."

\

After dinner, Zelda invited Link to join her on a walk through the gardens. They were certainly far healthier-looking than the last time she'd gone through them, except for the dead patches. The night air was a little cool, but neither of them commented as they walked slowly, Zelda's hands clasped before her and Link's hands in his pockets.

Once they were among the hedgerows of the garden, Zelda reached out and took Link's hand in her own, lacing their fingers together.

"How do you plan to get there?" Zelda asked reluctantly.

"Um, I'm going to rent a carriage. That way people won't see a royal carriage from Hyrule and start talkin'."

"Oh. But… surely they know you're part of my court? It shouldn't be a problem with one of our carriages."

"I don't want a lot of people to talk and stuff, y'know?"

"People will talk, regardless," Zelda said with a helpless shrug. "But, whatever you feel is best. In some ways, talk is the only thing most can afford."

He tugged her closer by their hands as they wandered the maze, not worried about getting lost because of the burned path.

"Are you sure that… if the kid's mine, it won't threaten the country and any kids we may have?"

"Only if Verla plans to pursue a course of action. If she doesn't, then we have no worries on that front. Do you think she would try it?"

"I… don't believe she would. If she did want to, it would be against me, at any rate. Not you or Hyrule. Her grief is with me." He smiled half-heartedly. Zelda stopped him and put her arms around him in a warm hug.

"You still carry such a weight on your shoulders," she said quietly.

"Yeah, well, what can I do?"

"It will all work out, I'm sure of it."

He hugged her back, and they stood together for several minutes.

"Whatever the results are," Zelda whispered, "let us get away for a few days when all is done. We can go to Riversong together."

"It's not just a house for punishment?"

"No, it's our summer home. I told you." She smiled.

"Just us, you mean? Or with the servants and guards and—

"Well, a few guards. And a cook."

"I can cook."

"Can you now? Then just the guards."

"No guards."

"At least one. Or two."

"None," he said, firmly.

"Why none?" she asked in surprise.

"So that we won't have to hide like this, of course. If it's the two of us, spending time together, then I want us to be able to spend all the time together. I can protect you."

Zelda kissed him. "I will see what I can do."

They embraced again, soon realizing in some ways it only felt so good because of how cold it was.

"Can we go back inside?" Link asked.

"Yes. Um, should I meet you in your room?"

"Why not yours? Send Tilly off to… knit or read a book or pick you up some bauble."

"We have no money for baubles."

"I can give you some of mine."

Zelda smiled. "I'll send her off to knit in a viewing room."

They headed back inside together, Link following along behind like all was normal. Zelda went to her room, and he to his, and after ten or fifteen minutes he heard her bedroom door open and shut again, and then one brief knock on his door; Tilly was passing by and signaling that all was well for him to go to Her Majesty.

He went through the secret passage and knocked twice before entering. Zelda was sitting at her vanity, brushing her hair, and she turned and smiled at him. "Hello again."

She stood and sat down on the bed, inviting him to join her, and he did. Zelda was already in her night clothes with a light robe over top. They sat in silence for some time, looking at each other.

"I don't know if…"

"What?" Zelda touched his cheek.

"I… I've been under a lot of stress, so…"

She kissed him lightly. "As have I. Lie down, then."

"What are we doing?" He started to lie down, but Zelda stopped him.

"Take off your shoes!"

"Oh—right." He sat back up and kicked them off, then his coat, and then he settled onto his back. Zelda laughed just a little, then she stretched back out next to him, resting her cheek on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

"Is… your bed bigger than mine?" he asked, staring up at the ceiling.

"Well… it is the royal bed." She yawned. "Soon, we will be able to do this every night."

"Yeah." He frowned. "What'll happen to Tilly? I mean, she's not a bad person and she's been pretty diligent about keeping quiet…"

"Oh, I don't know. She'll probably stay as my chamber maid, for dressing and hair and things."

"But… will she still sleep in here?"

"No. She will have her own room, and she comes to attend to me as I need."

"Oh."

Zelda moved away from him, only briefly, to pull up the covers over them both before snuggling back down at his side. He turned towards her and draped an arm over her hip, kissing her. They lay there for a while, just like that, Zelda half-dreaming and Link almost all the way asleep, the last of his thoughts drifting through his head. As he drifted off, he decided that the one thing he could do after it was all over was find her a ring.

\

A few days later, and he had to go.

Link left very early in the morning to travel to the ceremony. He had his outfit wrapped up and packed away, and would change during the last day of their trip. The sun was barely up, the air full of fog and the sky a pearly grey. Zelda had woken up when he climbed out of the bed, and she'd watched him in silence as he dressed.

He paused when he finished and looked over at her, not sure what he could say, if anything. So he didn't, and instead he walked back over to the bed and kissed her as she was laying there. Zelda reached up with her bare arms and hugged him around the neck.

"Can't stay?" she asked softly. He wouldn't be back for two weeks.

"I would if I could," he answered. They kissed again, Link's mouth dry with nerves. Zelda felt desperate, all of a sudden, to keep him just a little longer, as if somehow that would negate any chance of it being his child.

"Just an hour?" She didn't really want to act like this, trying to hold him up, but there was a defeated look in his face and they hadn't… done much for a while, and she… as ridiculous as it sounded, she couldn't bear to watch him go without them having…

He bit his lower lip and swore to himself, then reared back, undoing his coat and half-climbing onto the bed, kissing her more furiously than he'd been. Zelda pulled away the sheets between them and undid his pants, her long nails picking at the lacing and pulling him free, taking him in her hand. Link pulled up her nightgown to her waist and she lifted her hips to him, gasping when he thrust inwards, sharp and painful and something she'd missed.

They moved with each other, and Zelda pulled Link's face down to kiss him deeply, suddenly worried for him. What if the pull of his child was too strong? What if he vowed to take care of Verla?

"Don't leave," Zelda whispered, her breath catching as he thrust especially hard. She didn't mean for his trip, but he couldn't know that. Link only groaned in response as he put his head down, suddenly moving in quick, short bursts and concentrating on the pleasure between them. Zelda tilted her head back, little tears running down into her hair.

"Ah, Goddesses," Link hissed, pushing himself in all the way and his body going rigid, then relaxing. Zelda hugged him close, Link panting in her ear as he lay on top of her, his hairline damp with sweat and his body trembling, just a little, from the exertion. He stayed there until his heart wasn't pounding so hard, and reluctantly he pulled away from her.

Zelda sat up, folding her legs up delicately as Link moved to the edge of the bed, tying his pants back up and sitting for a moment in silence.

"Link," she said quietly. "I'll be here when you return."

He looked at her and nodded. "Thank you."

She moved to him and kissed him. "I hope your travels are safe."

"I'll be back in a couple weeks," he said, to assure her.

"Make sure that you are," she answered, longingly. "I will try to have our visit to Riversong set up by then."

"Of course."

He had some tea in the kitchens along with a day-old pasty. The same kitchen girl was there, and she smiled kindly at Link, remembering his habits even though it'd been months. He ate and drank in silence, and though their love-making had been a brief reprieve, he had no distraction from the travel that faced him.

Along with his clothing case, he had food packed for the journey. He wanted to get there and back quickly, and did not plan to stop unless absolutely necessary. He was impatient to get this done, now that it was upon him. He wished he could have simply gone on Epona; he was confident it would take half the time. But it may have been too tempting to just keep going. So he kept himself boxed in, and prepared for a long, long week.

An hour or so after Link left the castle grounds, Zelda sent for Odelia and Tilly. They looked at each other uneasily as they stood before the queen in her dress robe.

"You both know what I ask?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," they mumbled in unison.

"Tilly, I will work on what I promised for you. Odelia, you will have my eternal gratitude and favor."

Odelia nodded her head slightly.

"Speak to no one but each other."

Zelda took a deep, shaky breath.

"You may depart."

\

Link had dozed off and on throughout the trip, bored and restless and worried at what they might find. His dreams were, as usual, chaotic and nonsensical nightmares, but they weren't as cohesive as they used to be. Perhaps, finally, it was fading. He woke up for good when the carriage slowed to a stop, the driver thumping on the roof. "We've arrived, sir!" he shouted to him. Link frowned and rubbed his eyes, peeking out through one window at the building.

The Terminian Hall of Peace was a huge, beautiful structure, with stained glass windows depicting the four Giants, carrying the heavy moon in their hands, holding it up in a blue glass sky. The main building was carefully-placed blocks of a light-colored stone, with a massive carved wooden door at the entrance. There were dozens of carriages lined up at the far side of the structure, so Link had no chance of seeing the one that Odelia was sitting in, waiting, her cold hands clasped tightly in her lap.

Tilly was already in the hall, sitting on the left side and pressed up against the wall, wrapped up in a dark blue cloak. She drew no attention; the make of her cloak was inferior. It was assumed she was there to beg for money from Verla on this joyous day. Link didn't even notice her. One of the ushers recognized him and escorted him to a seat on the left side in the second row, two ahead of Tilly. Link thanked him and sat in silence, folding his hands in his lap, his heart thumping with nerves.

Verla was standing at the front on a slightly-raised platform. There was a huge basin in the center of the platform on a waist-high pedestal, presumably filled with blessed water for the ceremony. She held her son close and Theo stood next to her, and they talked quietly.

Theo saw him first. Link was staring down at his hands and wishing for it to be over quickly. Theo went silent and his face contorted with irritation. Why was he here?

"Why is _he_ here?" he hissed now, glancing at Verla.

"Who?" she asked, then turned her attention to where her husband was looking, and her face fell when she saw Link.

Link was able to detect he was being stared at, so he glanced over at the couple and, realizing they were staring at him, he nodded slightly, then away again.

"I invited him," Verla hissed back. "I've known him for years."

Theo sighed. "Fine."

Another several minutes went by, with Link shifting uncomfortably all the while and trying not to look at Verla and the child in her arms again. Finally, the officiate stepped up and held out his hands to the crowd, and they settled into place, falling silent.

"Good day, people! Today, we bless Mikal Anders D'Angrive, first son of Viceroy Theo D'Angrive and his wife, Verla, so that the Giants accept him unto our land of Termina. In the Hallowed Literature, it is said…"

Link barely heard the sermon, which was rambling and boring. He was staring, staring at the child in Verla's arms, unable to see much more than a little fist or the curve of its cheek, neither of which were clear signs as to his parentage. He clenched and unclenched one hand in a fist.

Tilly was also nervous, but she had a harder time seeing the child than Link did, being further back. She suspected that, if she simply watched Link's reaction when he got close, she could judge from there.

"And now, the blessing."

Verla unwrapped her son. He was dressed in a simple white tunic, and when he was no longer wrapped up snug and warm, he cried out. The officiate mumbled a droning chant in a language Link didn't know, waving one hand over the baby.

Link stared and stared, but the baby's face was screwed up with crying and he flailed his chubby limbs in protest.

Verla shushed him gently as she handed the baby over to the officiate, the man still mumbling and chanting and waving his hand over the child, then he slowly dipped Mikal into the water, just the back of his head. The cold water made the baby cry out harder, and Link saw Verla put a fist to her chest, as if tormented by all this.

The officiate muttered some more words and waved his hand again, then smiled up at the group. "Mikal Anders has been blessed, and accepted by the Giants. He is now of Termina."

There was polite applause. Link hesitated, looking around, then joined in, his jaw set. Still, nothing concrete.

The people in the seats began to rise up as Verla took her son back, wrapping him back in the blanket and talking softly. Men congratulated Theo, shaking his hand and inviting him outside for a cigar, while women swarmed around Verla, cooing and asking to see little Mikal. Link waited a long while until the crowd was almost gone, and then he stood, before knowing for sure what he was doing, and walked quickly up to Verla.

She glanced at him and again, her face was full of that sorrow and longing.

"Good to see you," she murmured.

"Yeah, you too." He glanced down at Mikal. The baby was looking back, his face very serious and his eyes a deep blue. He had the wispiest of eyebrows and hair, a light golden-red sort of color. Link sucked in a little breath.

"Um. Congratulations."

"Thank you."

They stood there in silence. Tilly watched them, very alert, still in her seat.

"Did you… want to hold him?" she asked quietly.

"Um. Can I?"

"Sure. Do you know how?"

Carefully, she handed Mikal over. Link looped one arm around, his hand going up to support the head as he and Mikal stared at each other. His heart ached, and he exhaled in a shuddering breath.

"He's so small," Link said, not knowing what else to say.

"Yes, he's a little baby." Verla smiled. Mikal stared up in silence at Link, and carefully, Link moved his arms around so that he had his left hand free, to look Mikal over for… some sort of sign.

He reached to inspect Mikal's left hand, and in return the baby grasped hold of his index finger with sudden ferocity, and gurgled at Link. Link shivered again, and wiggled his finger a little bit.

"Hello," he whispered.

"What happened to your voice?" Verla asked.

"Uh… we had a fire."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Yeah." He was completely transfixed by the baby, and the baby by him, staring into his face. Finally, Mikal gave a little sigh and looked away, around the room, then back to Link, his eyes riveted.

"Is he…" Link couldn't make the words out.

"He's healthy," Verla said firmly.

"That's not what—

"_Not. Here._" Verla hissed.

"But…"

Verla shrugged one shoulder and gave a little toss of her hair. "Maybe," she murmured. "He has your eyes, your nose, your hair." She looked away, putting one hand to her forehead to hide her tears. "So… so yes, I suppose he is."

Link looked at her, then down at Mikal, who was still staring.

"Do you need anything?" he asked her quietly. Verla managed to choke out a laugh.

"We have more money than your entire country and you ask me if I need anything," she grumbled bitterly.

"Well, you know, I want… to help. To support him."

"He will be fine. Just… just stay out of his life."

Link frowned. "What will happen when he's older? When you can't deny that he looks like me?"

"I will blame some distant relative. Shut up. I am not discussing this here with you," Verla hissed again.

"So… stay away."

"Yes."

Link sighed heavily and handed Mikal back over. "Okay then. I'll try." He glanced at Verla then, noting the dark circles under her eyes and the fine lines at the corners. So young, but looking so old already.

"Just don't come around." Mikal fussed a bit as Verla scooped him close, rubbing his back. "I'm sure that will be easy enough to do."

"Yeah. I guess it will." Link nodded. "Well. Good luck, then." And he turned away and walked out quickly, his hands swinging. He was ready to go home.

Tilly watched him closely as Link left, but his interactions with the child had cemented it for her; he at least believed it was his. She finally stood and walked hesitantly to Verla, her hands folded.

"Good day, Your Grace," Tilly said, bowing her head.

"Yes, hello," grumbled Verla, rubbing Mikal's back; he was still fussing slightly.

"I apologize for the trouble; my lady wishes to congratulate you on the blessing, but she has a difficult time walking and is in her carriage. Would you please accompany me to her?" Tilly tried, by looking through the corner of her eyes, to glance at the baby, but she had no doubts that it was Link's.

"Uh… yes, I suppose. Just one moment." Verla set Mikal down in his bassinet, asking one of her maids to look over him, that she would be back shortly. Tilly got a good look then, and she sucked in a little breath of shock; if Theo didn't think there was something odd about the child, he was a fool or in denial.

"Take me to her," Verla commanded. Tilly dipped her head and walked quickly, leading Verla outside and to the carriage.

Odelia sat up when the door opened, and Tilly poked her face in. "My lady, Her Grace the Vicereine has come to see you."

Odelia nodded. "Let her in."

Tilly stepped back and Verla climbed up, sitting down across from her and staring at Odelia, not sure of who she was.

"Congratulations on your healthy baby, Your Grace," said Odelia with a faint smile, her hands clenched in her lap. Tilly shut the door and stood before it, almost like a guard.

"Yes, thank you… I'm sorry, but I don't recognize you."

Odelia thought of Zelda and her country, and pushed on. "Of course you wouldn't. I am not from Termina."

Verla frowned. "Then, who…"

"I have come as a representative of my queen, Her Majesty Zelda of Hyrule."

"Oh shit," Verla said, standing.

"Sit down, Verla."

"What the fuck do you want?" she snapped, settling back down obediently. "She already has my lover, what the fuck else could she possibly want?"

"Payment, and a promise."

"Is this blackmail?!"

"Absolutely."

Verla spit on Odelia's skirt. "I will give you nothing."

"Oh, what a shame. You see, Verla, my maid out there has a note that I do not think you want delivered."

Verla glared at her, her eyes full of hate and fear. "What kind of note?"

"The kind of note regarding your child's true father. I doubt you want Theo to know… after all, you've already grown so accustomed to the good life, and your ranch has been taken back by Hyrule." Odelia calmly wiped at the spit on her skirts. "With one signal, Tilly will run to your husband and hand him the message. Sure, he may suspect nothing now, but you cannot deny…"

Verla put a hand to her chest. She weighed her choices, then, finally, "what must I do?"

"I knew you were a reasonable girl. Now." Odelia unfolded some letters from an envelope. "I have paperwork here that, when young… what is the child's name?"

Verla recoiled. "Mikal," she muttered.

"Mikal. How nice. Now, I have paperwork that says you renounce Link as having any connection with him, in so that you nor he can pursue the Hylian throne at any point in the future."

"The thr… she's going to marry him?!" Verla near-shrieked.

"Yes, I assume so. They are quite close, and it is not as if you're available to go after him. You're happily settled down, now."

"I…" Verla choked back tears.

"So. Some paperwork for you to sign, saying you renounce Link as the father of Mikal and neither you nor your son will lay claim to the royal throne at any time, as well as a payment on your owed taxes of fifty thousand rupees."

Verla laughed bitterly. "I don't carry fifty thousand rupees, are you mad?"

"Hm, of course you don't. You're a reasonable woman. So instead, your engagement ring, please."

"What?! I am not giving you my—" Her eyes went wide with terror as Odelia raised one hand to the window.

"One knock, and I can bring your whole world crashing down," Odelia reminded her.

"You… bitch," Verla sobbed as she pulled off her engagement ring and flung it at Odelia. Odelia fished it from her skirts and put it on her own hand over her glove, for safekeeping.

"Her Majesty expects payment in full within a month, or the letter will be delivered. I strongly urge you to follow through. Fifty thousand is a trifle to you, I'm sure. Once payment is made, your ring will be returned, safe and sound."

"Keep the damned thing, I can get another."

She sniffled and held out one hand for the paperwork and a pen. Odelia delivered both, as well as a hard wooden plank to use to support the paper while she wrote. Verla almost tore the paper as she scratched her name, tears running down her face.

"Bitch queen, that… that bitch," she mumbled through her angry sobs. She flung the papers back at Odelia, then the pen, which spattered and left a little trail of ink on her dress skirts.

"Well. Maybe I can buy a new outfit with this ring," Odelia said calmly, her ears ringing with insult as she tried to stay calm.

"Anything else?!" Verla snapped.

"No. Just the money, in one month's time, delivered to the castle please."

"Fine. Fine." Verla sniffled and stood up, pounding on the door. "Let me out, you tricky slag!" she shouted.

Tilly jumped and turned around, opening the door and making way for Verla, who was shoving her way out.

"Oh, and Verla, one more thing," Odelia called. This, Zelda had impressed on her, was the most important thing to say.

Verla whipped around once on the ground, her makeup smeared around her eyes. "What!" she snapped. Was it not enough?

"He loves her, you know," Odelia replied. She smirked a little as Tilly climbed in and shut the door in Verla's face.

Verla stormed back to the hall, wiping her tears away with her hands. Besides her maids and Mikal, she was alone, and she went to the basin and splashed her eyes with cold water to prevent them from becoming bloodshot and puffy.

"Bring me a cloth, please," she commanded. One of her maids rushed up with a kerchief and dabbed at her makeup, wiping away the runny lines.

"Are you alright, my lady?" asked another maid.

"I'm fine," she snapped, sniffling.

\

Once they were in Hyrule, Link asked the driver to stop at the first pub they came across, regardless of its condition or repute. As a result, they stopped at a seedy and dingy place. Link had brought a little money with him for the child (originally), and instead he spent it all on getting good and drunk while the driver had one, until he was sitting alone at the far end of the bar with his head in his hands, crying. After a few hours and several more beers on Link's part, the pub owner and the driver slogged him back out to the carriage while Link apologized over and over for being such a burden.

"It just felt appropriate, you know, to just get really good and wrecked, if she doesn't wanna remember me then, then I'll just forget her and him, and I'll never come back… and I... I'll stay far… far away… and…" and then he burst into tears and the driver shut him into the carriage and thanked the pub owner, taking off. Eventually, Link fell asleep or passed out, and he woke up with a hell of a hangover, and the driver gave him some water and said nothing about his drunken babbling or his crying fit.

And eventually, they returned to the castle. Link had the driver deliver him a bill for the ride, and he promised to send payment as soon as he had some time to sort his head. The driver nodded, knowing he could trust him.

Link went into the castle, ignoring the people that greeted him, still wearing his blue outfit, and he paused at the kitchen long enough to get a bottle of something strong (he didn't care what) and then went to his room, sitting on his bed and staring at the bottle.

Wait, he thought to himself. What did it matter? Of course he shouldn't be hanging around and inviting Theo to see the likeness of Link in his son. And what did he need to be moping and sobbing over Verla for, anyway? She rejected him, she turned him out, she refused him again and again, and what good was it sitting around and crying for it?

"Fuck it all," he muttered, and he set the bottle down. He had a beautiful woman, a queen, available in the room near his, loving and welcoming of him and all his problems, all his flaws. Verla could keep his son. If Mikal wanted to seek him out some day and say hello, he could. But he wasn't going to waste his time dwelling on what could have been anymore.

So he stood up and went to Zelda's room instead, knocking forcefully on the door.

\

Zelda was shocked by the loud knocking, and she jumped a little; it was so much like her old nightmares. She set down her ink pen and blew on the lettering to urge it to set quickly before it smeared.

"Come in?" she called out cautiously.

Link strode in, his jaw set. He cleared his throat and Zelda gestured for him to sit down, suddenly wary. Did he know? Did he know what she had done?

"Welcome back. How was it?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even.

"Uhhh… it was good. It was good. The…" he sighed. "The baby looks exactly like me and Verla all but said he was mine and then told me to never come near him or her again, so…"

Zelda sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, so'm I. But… I'm glad, too. Cus now I don't have to worry about it. Yeah, yeah, he's my kid. But she doesn't want me around and he won't know who I am, and maybe if he wants to see me later he can and that's fine, cus he'll be his own person. So… so now I can move on. And we can be together and not worry about all this. And you can be my wife, if you want to still." He looked at her steadily, and Zelda smiled.

"Yes, absolutely. I would love to be your wife." She cleared her throat and looked at her paperwork, then to him. "So… did you still want to go to Riversong?"

"Yeah. I think… just spending some time with you could be nice."

"As do I." She smiled at him. "I will see what I can do, we can leave in the morning.

"Great. Um… I'm gonna take a bath though, if that's alright?"

"Of course it is. Please do."

He stood and leaned over the writing desk, kissing her. "I love you," he said, looking into her eyes.

Zelda looked up at him with warmth. "I love you too," she assured him, squeezing one of his hands. "Now go have a nice bath and relax."

"Yeah. Uh, if you wanna come over in a little while…"

"Of course. I haven't been able to sleep hardly at all."

He smiled and left again, thinking that a hot bath was just the thing to soothe him. Some time after he had departed to his rooms, Tilly came in, followed by Odelia, who still had the ink on her dress.

"Please, sit down," Zelda invited them both. Her tone went very stern. The women sat down and stared at the queen. "How was it?" she asked.

Odelia sighed and took the ring off her finger, setting it down, then the paperwork Verla had signed. Zelda nodded.

"She said we could keep the ring," Odelia muttered.

"I'm not keeping it. You can have it. Use it for your wedding someday." Zelda sighed. "Thank you again, both of you. Tilly, I have already sent a letter to Jalila, though we won't hear a response for a while, due to distance."

"Of course, Your Majesty." Tilly bowed her head. Odelia raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Odelia, are you certain there is nothing you want?"

Odelia hesitated, but shook her head. "Nothing, Your Majesty. The ring is enough."

Zelda nodded. "Then… you both may be dismissed. Tilly, you can have a holiday as a reward."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Odelia lingered as Tilly left, and looked at Zelda. Zelda tilted her head slightly. "Is… everything alright?" She hoped they wouldn't be having another discussion about the ethics behind this plot.

"I… I think you've made quite the enemy in Termina, Your Majesty," Odelia warned her quietly.

Zelda shook her head. "I have nothing to fear from her. She has no power here, and with one note I can ruin her."

Odelia was surprised by the edge in Zelda's voice, but she bowed her head. "Of course, Your Majesty. I will depart now."

"Thank you again, Odelia," Zelda told her. "I could not have done it myself."

\

Later, Zelda finally went to Link's room. He was in the tub still, his eyes closed, but he wasn't sleeping. Or he had been and the faintest sound of Zelda walking in had woken him.

"Hello," she murmured, kneeling next to the tub and resting her arms on the edge.

"Hi." He sat up and opened his eyes. "I'd invite you in but the tub's kinda full…"

"That is alright." She took up a sliver of soap and dipped her hands in the water, working it into lather and starting to wash his hair. Link sighed and relaxed under her hands. They were quiet as she washed him, gently dipping his head back to rinse out the soap and pouring little handfuls along his temples and hairline to get all of it. He also looked as if he hadn't shaved in a few days, but she would let him take care of that.

Link shook his head. "He looked… a lot like me. I mean, a lot. If Theo'd been there when I was holdin' him I've no doubt he woulda seen it right away. And he just kept staring at me."

Zelda paused, and waited for him to speak again.

"But, you know, Verla told me 'no, I don't want you around him'. I just think she doesn't want Theo to put two an' two together and boot her out."

"It's possible," she conceded.

"And I guess I don't want that to happen to her either. I can't support her. So… it's for the best."

Zelda kissed his forehead and Link closed his eyes.

"So. Did you still want to go to Riversong?" she asked him lightly.

"Yes, please," he answered. "Just for a few days."

"I will see what I can do."

\

But, as she was still working on the backlog of work from their trip to Gerudo, it was several more days before Zelda could plan anything. Link was patient, and spent much of his time out in the stables again, getting the new stable hands in shape and checking on Epona's healing. She was especially skittish to anyone else now, so usually he had to feed and clean her. He decided that if they were able, he would ride Epona out to Riversong, or at least haul the carriage, if it wasn't too heavy. She could use the exercise.

Finally, Zelda felt that most of her duties had been taken care of. Tilly followed her as she packed several dresses, her hands folded before her.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you, Your Majesty?" Tilly asked her half-heartedly, feeling bound to ask by duty.

"Quite sure, Tilly. I will be fine. I just want a few days to clear my head, to prepare for the harvest season. After all, I'm sure you realize that the trip to Gerudo wasn't exactly care-free."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Will… Master Link be going?"

Zelda stopped walking and looked at her. Tilly looked back, her face one of passive attendance.

"He… might. I do not know."

"You plan to go alone, not even guards? What about cooks? Or attendants? How will you dress?"

"If you have noticed, the items I've chosen for wearing are all quite easy to put on alone. And I will take some cold meats and cheeses along. I do not plan to spend a long time there."

Tilly nodded. "I only ask, Your Majesty, because I wish to help you."

"I know that. And I appreciate it."

"If you do not mind my suggestion, Your Majesty, if Master Link does plan to visit Riversong with you… alone… then the people will talk."

"They talk now, don't they? I highly doubt it will change." But she considered what Tilly said carefully, and sighed. "I will tell them… it's for religious sabbatical. To pray for peace in the coming days. If Link happens to travel somewhere while I am gone, that is his prerogative."

Tilly nodded. "Is there anything else you require for assistance, Your Majesty?"

"No, Tilly. But thank you. Ah—actually, could you bring Link here?"

"Yes."

Tilly left and returned a few minutes later; Link had just come back from working in the stables and had been undressing for a bath. Zelda smiled at him when he entered, and she sat at her writing desk to finish a few things. Link sat down across from her.

"Leave us, Tilly."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Link smiled at her when they were alone. "I kinda stink right now, I don't think you'd want to get too close."

"Oh no, I just wanted to speak privately."

"Oh?"

She sighed. "I will be telling my people that inquire, that I am going to Riversong alone, to pray for guidance from the Goddesses for the coming days."

"Ah."

"If you… happen to take Epona out for a few days coincidentally, then I doubt anyone will say anything."

"So in a way, we're still sneaking out."

Zelda lowered her gaze. "Yes."

"Well… no. I don't want to. I think that we should announce our intentions of marriage and… fuck 'em if they don't like it. Tell them that we are going off to have a long talk about it and decide that we really like each other and… and that's why we want privacy for a few days."

Zelda shook her head. "Can we please just try it my way?"

Link sighed. "You know 'em best, I suppose." He stood to leave, but Zelda raised one hand to stop him.

"I have thought of something that both of us may find a little easier to swallow. Whatever I say, please go along with it, alright?"

He nodded. "Alright."

\

"We have come a long way," Zelda spoke, her hands folded before her, "in the past year. Hyrule has struggled, but she has persevered, as a country of strong and hard-working people always does. However, we do not know what struggles we yet face. The crop may fail this year. Many of you may still lose loved ones to illness. We cannot know these things for sure until they happen.

So, I, and the legendary hero, are to take a religious sabbatical to the summer house Riversong. We will spend our days fasting and in prayer, asking the Goddesses for their guidance in the months ahead."

The crowd in the hall watched them in silence. Link shifted his weight uncomfortably, trying not to look like this was all a surprise to him.

"We will return in one week. Hopefully, we will have received communication from the Goddesses, on how to thrive again."

She smiled, looking around at the impassive (and some of them skeptical) faces. "I thank you all for your cooperation, and your care for the castle in my absence."

She dipped her head to show that she was done speaking, and there was some applause in support of the decision.

"Puh, a week of prayer," muttered a maid to her friend next to her. "Wonder who's going to spend more time on their knees?" Her friend had to bite her fist to stifle the giggles.

"Now we just have to hope the castle actually does survive," she muttered under her breath to Link.

"We'll only be a day away. We'll be alright," he whispered back.

She gestured for him to leave the great hall, and she followed along behind him, back upstairs to prepare their last few things for travel.

"How will we get there?" Link asked. "I'm sure Epona could use some exercise."

"Oh, that would work beautifully. I am sure Cerosa would also enjoy a trip out. Do you think Epona would do well hauling a cart for our things?"

"What things?"

"Clothes… some food…?"

"Oh, of course. Yeah, if it's one little cart she'll be fine."

They reached the hallway leading to their rooms, and Zelda took Link's hand. "Anything else you need to pack?"

"Um, a few things. I don't need much."

"I will have my horse readied and we can leave within the hour, if you would like."

"Yeah, I would. I'll get Epona ready myself."

She smiled and leaned towards him, kissing him. He kissed her in return, lightly touching her cheek with his hand. Days, endless days where they didn't have to look down the hall before kissing, where they didn't have to shoo poor Tilly out like a bad dog. Just the two of them in the house, for days. He shivered a little and kissed her again, deeper, and she had to gently push him away to stop him.

"Calm down now," she urged him, her eyes bright.

"I will try."

"Go pack your things, and I will meet you outside in an hour."

"Of course."

Link didn't pack much; some extra shirts and coats. He didn't expect to wear them often.

Zelda, meanwhile, considered, and then plucked several leaves from her plant. She'd forgotten to ask Jalila if she needed to eat one for every… occasion, or just one the next morning. To be safe, she'd been eating one or two depending on… how many times. There weren't many leaves left, and the ones that had dried up and fallen off she had planned to add to her tea, but she wasn't sure how effective it was in that form.

She wrapped the leaves in a kerchief and tucked it into her pocket, then headed downstairs to have a cart and Cerosa prepared for the journey.

Link wasn't far behind, carrying a small rucksack of his clothes and setting it in the cart. "You know, we could probably just carry this stuff," he told her.

"Ah…" Zelda glanced towards the castle. A guard was bringing down her trunk, and a kitchen hand was carrying out a large basket of food; bread and cured meats and a few small vegetables that were left.

"Are you sure this is plenty, Your Majesty? One of us should come with you…"

"Just enough for the evening meal. That is all we will require. Thank you."

The kitchen hand bowed her head and set the basket into the cart. Link went and fetched Epona, and she eagerly trotted out of her stall, fighting with Link just a little before she would allow him to hitch her for the ride, hooking up Cerosa next to her.

"We shan't be gone long," Zelda assured her people, "and we are but a day away if there are any urgent messages." She climbed up onto Cerosa with Link's help, and when he was certain she was secure, he climbed up on Epona. "Please, take care of the place," she urged them with a smile, and then they were off.

It was a good day; nice and hot, but a good wind to keep it from being stifling, the sky open and blue and the sun bright. Epona was clearly annoyed at not being able to run, being chained to the slower Cerosa, but Link just kept petting her mane and assuring her with quiet talk that she would be able to run plenty once they arrived. Zelda took deep breaths, filling her lungs with the clean air, and smiled to herself; surely, once this summer faded into fall, they would have a great crop and Hyrule would pull itself out of the slump.

Especially with the money from Verla.

/

AN: first off, I want to thank all of you for your patience! Sorry about the long wait for this update, I've been hung up working on real life stuff for some reason, but I hope it's worth it(I made it a big one for ya[that's what she said])! If any of you are going to Youmacon in Detroit Michigan, November 2nd- 4th, I will be there, helping to host the Lolita fashion show and panels! So come say hi! (I'll be the shorter of the hosts)


	16. Chapter 16

"Are you sure about this, my lady?"

"Yes," Verla snapped. "And I need you to _not_ tell Theo anything about it."

The accountant looked cautiously down at his books, then back to her. "But… a withdrawal of this size…"

"If he finds out because you can't do some simple math, I will have you executed as a traitor to the crown!" She was panicked, her hands clenched in fists. "Charge it off as dresses, jewelry, anything!"

"I will do my best, my lady."

"Good. Good." Verla stood and ran her fingers through her hair, and left quickly. She did not want Theo to see her lingering in the accounting room; he might ask questions.

She'd already bought herself a replacement ring, the band maybe a hair wider, and Theo had never said anything about it, so she trusted that her secret was safe for now. Verla stormed up to her rooms and shooed all of her maids out, wanting to be alone to think, resting her head against the glass window overlooking the gardens.

Fifty thousand rupees for Zelda's silence, that… that…

She sighed, knowing it was her own fault. Why hadn't she done something the next morning? Had she wanted to fall pregnant? Had she wanted everything to fall apart under her feet? Would that have been the only way she could have kept him to herself?

She hugged herself and let the tears fall. Approximately three trunks of money were to be shipped over to the castle within the next week. It would get there a little late, but it would get there, and no longer would she be hassled by Hyrule. Theo had still said nothing about paying her taxes, he simply burned every notice they received. He wouldn't miss them. She was doing this for them, after all, so that they could live in peace.

She pushed herself off the glass and went to see her son.

\

They came up to Riversong early the next morning. Cerosa and Epona, going at the slow pace they'd had, were able to continue on all through the night. When Zelda murmured that she was falling asleep, Link had helped her down off Cerosa and put her up on Epona, climbing up behind her and keeping her against his chest, his arms on either side of her on the reins to keep her from falling off while she slept. She kept him warm, pressed against his chest like that, and he settled for directing Epona with one hand while the other held Zelda round the waist.

The sky was rolling over with grey when they came upon the house, birds singing and flitting, and immediately Link sensed something was off. Namely, that there seemed to be a fire going in the kitchen, as well as a few horses in full tack standing around and nipping grass.

"What the hell," he whispered to himself, and it woke Zelda. She roused herself and stared at the house.

"Oh good, we're here—

She was about to hop down but Link stopped her, tightening his arm.

"Stay here," he murmured in her ear. "There's something going on."

"What?"

He slid carefully off Epona and directed her to be silent, no matter what. Link crept towards the house. The horses paused and looked at him, then went silent again, eating the grass.

Link looked at the front door and found that it had been broken around the handle, and finally kicked in and no longer settled nicely in the frame. Made sense, only Zelda had the key. Cautiously, he pushed the door open. It creaked, but nothing else. He wished he'd remembered some small weapon.

He walked in slowly, wrinkling his nose at the smell of burned meat and old wood, unwashed clothes and unemptied chamber pots. Someone was living here. He immediately thought about the goblin in the woods and wondered if they'd discovered this house. Were there more? He trusted Epona could keep Zelda safe, but he had nothing to kill them with.

He crept up to the bedrooms, moving cautiously on the stairs, barely breathing. He heard loud snoring, and it sounded a little familiar. He had to face the man to realize why.

Brind, one of the stable-burning bastards, was sleeping in one of the beds. Of course! It was a brilliant plan; hide in plain sight, under the Queen's nose, send out false reports about their locations, and never get caught, as long as they'd had advance notice of an arrival to Riversong.

Brind mumbled and rolled over, frowning, and he woke up and saw Link standing over him, his hands in fists. He sucked in a gasp of shock, and was building up into a scream when Link jumped on the bed and started hitting him, again and again.

"Threaten my horse—" punch "betray my queen—" punch "ruin part of the castle—" punch

Brind's mouth was a mess of broken teeth and blood, his nose swelling, his eyes puffing and going black. Link looked around and saw a sharp dagger on the desk, and while Brind rolled around on the bed, moaning and clutching at his face, Link ripped the bloodied sheet off the bed and cut a slash into it, ripping off a strip of fabric and using it to bind Brind's hand and feet like a calf, stuffing another wad of material into his mouth to keep him from screaming, and laying him on his side.

Then he went to find the others.

He put the edge of his knife to the throat of the second stablehand and hissed in his ear to stay silent. The stablehand had other ideas, and he sucked in a breath to scream—and Link stuffed a wad of material into his mouth from the bed, grabbing the guy by the hair and forcing his face into the pillow to muffle any screaming. Moving quickly while the guy was flailing, he set the dagger down and started to hogtie this one as well, managing it but just barely, sweat rolling down his face and his teeth gritting so hard the gums ached.

The third had heard some of the scuffling and woke up, and was running out of his room with a bag of clothes. Link heard him and gave chase, anger and a sense of justice lending him speed, whereas this guy was still trying to cope with waking up so abruptly. He stumbled and Link grabbed him by the hair, whipping the guy's head back and bringing him falling down to the floor. Link put a boot on his chest and pointed the dagger at him, his chest heaving.

"How'd you find us?" the stablehand asked, gasping and struggling for breath.

"Pure chance," Link snarled. He kicked the stablehand hard in the groin, and this one shrieked.

Zelda jolted when she heard the hollering, and Epona looked around sharply. The horses at the house jumped and shied from it, but went back to their feed.

Zelda climbed off Epona and started to go towards the house, but Epona bit at her dress sleeve and tugged.

"It'll be alright," she assured Epona, touching her neck. "I just want to see what is going on."

Epona snorted and tried to barricade Zelda, but it was hard doing attached to a cart with Cerosa, who shook her mane and looked around. Eventually, Link came back out, his face grim and his shirt spattered with blood. Zelda stared at him in horror.

"What the hell is going on in there?! Are you alright?!" She put her hands to his shoulders and Link pulled her in close and kissed her, pressing into her. She pushed him back. "No, you tell me what is going on!" she shouted.

Link took a deep breath. "Those assholes what burned down the stable were squatting here."

"… You're kidding." Zelda stared at him with huge eyes.

"No. I've got them all tied up. What do you want done with them?"

Zelda looked at the house and then at Link. "Ah… we should send them to the castle, but we can't very well untie them, can we?"

Link glanced at the cart, then to her. "If we hook up your horse and one of theirs to the cart, would Cerosa be able to lead them back to the castle?"

Zelda wrinkled her nose. "Yes, but I would worry dreadfully about her. What if they get loose?"

"Of course." He glanced at Epona, then to the horses milling around. "I suppose we can just see how far they get. I'm sure that, at the rate these horses prefer to move, they won't be hard to find again."

He hauled their things in and told Zelda to keep hidden; he didn't want them to know that she was there as well. He unhooked Cerosa and Epona, and directed them to standing around near the stables, then took two of the stablehand's horses and hooked them up to the empty cart, before going back in and collecting the hogtied men, dragging them out by the knots around their hands and feet. He managed to haul them up onto the cart one by one, and then pointed the horses towards the castle and smacked one hard on the hind to get them running.

The sun was slowly rising, and Link looked after them until he couldn't see them any more, with an angry look on his face. Zelda peeked out from the stables where she'd been unhooking the equipment on the horses, and she walked out, reaching over and touching Link's hand gently with her own.

"You did the right thing," she murmured, reading the anger and the longing for revenge in the lines of his body. "They will be tried and hanged when we return."

Link sighed, then looked at her.

"Come on, let's get you some sleep," she encouraged him, nodding.

"Alright."

They headed inside. Link paused long enough to check on the glowing coals in the kitchen; at least there would be some use to them having been around. He emptied the chamber pots and pushed all the piles of clothes and bones and general mess together; they would take the clothes back to Hyrule, have them washed, and distribute them if possible. Then, with the bright warm sun making its ascension, they headed upstairs. Link directed Zelda to one of the beds that hadn't been used, a small side bed meant for the help in a cramped room.

"Are there really… no others?" she asked hesitantly. "I mean, where will you sleep?"

"Uh…"

She wandered the hallway until they found another room with a bed that was clean and large enough for both of them. Zelda helped him undress, pushing his coat off his shoulders and undoing the buttons of his shirt.

"We shall have to purchase you a new one," she muttered as she revealed his smooth chest button by button.

"I can get myself one," he muttered. "It's no big deal."

Zelda had to remind herself that he didn't know about the money coming in, and she nodded half-heartedly. "If that's how you prefer it done."

She removed his shirt while he pulled off his boots and pants, then they kissed a few times before going to the bed, laying next to each other with Link on his side and Zelda on her back, her face turned towards him. Link closed his eyes right away, but Zelda sat up for a bit to watch him dream, listening to the quiet sounds of the house around them. Finally, she, too, fell asleep.

\

In the … well, not the morning, because they'd gone to sleep in the morning, but later that day, when Zelda finally roused herself from sleep, she considered actually making an attempt to pray for guidance. She pulled on a breezy robe and went downstairs, heading out the back to go stand near the lake.

The sun was moving towards the other edge of the horizon, the water glittering under its light. She wriggled her toes in the muddy sand at the edge of the lake, then took a deep breath and started walking into the water, up to her knees. It was frigid and the mud sucked at her feet, the smooth rocks painful when she didn't expect them, and she still needed the last element of the Goddesses, so she walked out further until she was up to her waist and could feel kelp around her ankles, slimy and shiver-inducing, almost like the hands of the dead reaching for her.

She tried not to think of it that way.

She reached down into the water and took up a handful of mud, then put her other hand around a kelp stalk, and closed her eyes.

"Give me guidance," she asked quietly, and then waited. And waited.

After a long time of nothing, Zelda sighed, and decided to head in. The water was turning chilly, and the sun was slowly setting, and she had no desire to be sitting out in the dark. Link came running out just as she was sloshing out of the water, wide-eyed and confused.

"What are you doin'? You're soakin' wet!" he cried.

"Well yes, I told the people I was coming here to pray, so I figured I might as well actually try."

"Is this all part of it?"

"Yes. The water for Nayru, the mud for Din, the green kelp for Farore… it's about reaching out to all of them through their element."

"Oh. Well… you're probably cold, though. I was going to cook up something for dinner."

"Do we have anything to cook? I thought it was mostly dried meat and things we had."

"Oh, right. Well, I guess we'll eat some of that and tomorrow I'll go hunting."

"Did you bring anything to hunt with?"

"No, but those idiots left a bunch of stuff lying around."

Zelda nodded. "Well, at least there is that."

He sighed. "I hope they get to the castle."

"I know. Look, it's amazing we even found them." She put her hand on his arm. "Come on. Help me change out of these wet clothes."

"Right here in the yard?" He offered her a grin.

"No, at least in the house."

They made it to the kitchen, where Link had stoked up the fire a little bit, and Zelda peeled off her outer robe. Link took it from her and placed it on the floor close to the stove to dry, then came back for her dress. Zelda was gripping the edge of the kitchen table and watched him walk back over.

"You know… I'm going to need that, too," he muttered.

"Then… take it," she replied, raising an eyebrow.

He kissed her as he lifted her dress, breaking their kiss only to lift it off over her head, but then it ended up crumpled up on the floor as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. He pushed her against the table and she eased back onto it, and he undid his pants, and she sighed when he thrust into her, hugging him close and closing her eyes. He lowered her gently onto her back on the table, and from there they started moving.

When they finished, they headed upstairs and collapsed into bed without even eating anything, where they curled up together and slept without dreams for some hours. At some point in the early, grey dawn, Zelda opened her eyes and looked at Link, and found that he was also awake and looking back at her.

"Good morning," she murmured.

"Hey." He kissed her. Zelda realized, with a sleepy sort of happiness, that she wouldn't have to rush him out the door to hide him from Tilly, or leap out of bed to take care of the country's problems right away. They could stay there.

She pressed up against him and they kissed.

"Ah, the best way to wake up," Link said with a smile. "Let's wake up like this every day."

"What, this week?" she asked as she sat up to climb on top of him.

"No. Everyday for the rest of our lives."

"You really do want… ah… a thousand children, don't you?" she joked as she maneuvered him inside.

"Hey now, you're the one who climbed up," he said with a smirk, putting his hands on her hips and rolling up into her with a sigh.

"I know," she murmured, arching her back and putting her hands on his chest. "Let's keep it down to five hundred, alright?"

He chuckled. "We can try."

She hunkered down so that they could kiss, gripping the bedsheets tightly in her fists. He stroked her sides, kissed her neck, and she picked up speed atop of him, panting softly as she moved.

"I love you," he whispered to her.

"I love you," she replied, sighing in pleasure.

"Marry me," he half-said, half-asked.

"I asked you first," she retorted with a laugh.

"Then I will. I'll marry you."

"And I will marry you," she assured him.

\

When they were too hungry to stay in bed any longer, Link rifled around the kitchen and, finding nothing, he instead pulled on his pants and took the little dagger and went to the lake. He came back after forty or so minutes with a few fish, carrying them by the gills, and he gutted and prepared them right outside the kitchen door, kicking the guts off into the hedges around the building with his boot.

He wiggled out of his shoes so as not to track fish guts into the kitchen and found a pan that wasn't dirty (the rest would need washing, he noted) and gave the fish a quick fry on the inside before putting the mess into the oven to bake while he did some cleaning, washing the nasty dishes in the sink and whistling, pitching the old nasty water out the door with the fish guts and getting more right from the lake as needed.

Zelda had finally pulled on a dress and had hastily eaten two leaves before creeping downstairs and watching him with a little smile. She would remember this, she decided, for a long time. And probably tease him with it later.

"Perhaps you should be a kitchen hand instead," she said with a laugh.

"Oh, you're not hungry now?" he asked, turning around and smirking.

"Hey now, I'm plenty hungry. I just didn't realize you were handy in a kitchen."

He shrugged and finished up the pile of dishes, washing his hands thoroughly and chewing up some of the dried meat. " 'course I am."

"What do you mean, 'of course'?"

"Hey, I had to cook meals once in a while when I was out getting ready to fight Ganondorf."

Zelda shrugged one shoulder, glancing out at the lake. "Is there any fresh water to drink?"

"Ummm… no, unfortunately. I can probably put some on for tea though, if there's any with our food."

There was indeed a small tin of leaves, so Link put a kettle on the stove and washed two mugs well, and put the leaves into the strainer in the kettle, and they drank the tea together while waiting for the fish to finish up. When it finished, he flipped the filets over to expose the flaky meat, and they plucked it right from the pan with their fingers, sitting at the table and sipping their tea.

\

"We should probably head home," Zelda mumbled one morning, when they'd been there for a week.

"Why?" Link responded, pressed against her back and holding one of her breasts gently. He made a good point.

"Because I have responsibilities. And we have to find out if those bastards made it to the castle. And I told them we'd only be gone a week."

Link nuzzled her neck and mumbled, "tell them we haven't gotten guidance yet."

"I think I've had plenty of guidance from you," she said with a smirk.

"Oh, have you?" he replied with a playful growl, rolling her over onto her stomach as she laughed.

An hour or two later, they agreed that they were best to go back to Hyrule, to announce their engagement. Whether this was to be part of their guidance from the Goddesses or not, they didn't care.

Link whistled as he tacked the horses up for their ride; the third horse they'd decided to keep, and use as a packhorse for the travel back. Zelda folded and put her clothes away in her small case, and ripped up the rest of the bread that had started to go moldy and threw it in the lake for the fish and ducks.

Link hooked the third horse up to Cerosa, trusting that Zelda was a good enough rider to control two at once, and climbed up on Epona, taking her for a few brisk laps around in the field to get it out of her system. He went inside once satisfied and hauled the luggage case down, while Zelda made notes to send some people out later to clean up the house and install a new door.

The horses were ready, their things were packed, and Zelda had checked the house twice for any candles left aflame and made sure the fire in the kitchen was completely extinguished, and then she walked out to meet Link, sighing.

"Well. I guess I am as ready as I could ever be," she muttered sadly. Link nodded in response and kissed her, his arm going around her waist.

"Hey, I'm sure we can always come back, and we're headin' to a new future together anyway."

"Yes. This is true."

"A future of us and… and this." He put his hand tentatively on her lower belly, and Zelda looked at him in confusion.

"What 'this'?" she asked.

"Well… uh… after the past week and… really because we've been… and… you've not had me…"

"Get to the point," she grumbled, folding her arms.

"Well, you're probably pregnant by now, right?" he blurted out.

"Oh." She blushed. "Well, um, probably not. Some women, it… takes a while."

"Yeah, but… like… we've been together… a _lot_," he stressed, and Zelda sighed.

"If I am or if I am not, do not worry about it, alright? We will be together in any case."

She was walking away from him to climb on Cerosa when he called out, "Why don't you think you're pregnant? Are you… alright?"

"What?" She turned and stared at him. "How can you ask me this?!"

"I want to know! I care about you!"

"I…" Zelda heaved another sigh, and gave up on hiding it. "When we were in Gerudo, I talked to Jalila."

"… okay…"

"And, she told me about this plant… for women who weren't ready to bear children yet."

Link nodded slowly.

"She gave me one. So… every morning, after we…"

"Yeah."

"I eat one. To… prevent. For the sake of appearances."

He nodded slowly again, his arms folded, thinking. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I… didn't think it was any of your business."

"Why not? I love you."

She shrugged. "I didn't know if you would approve. After all…"

"Well, I woulda liked to know, but… I mean, you know, if it's the only way you felt safe to fool around, then I understand. You don't need my approval for such things. I just would've wanted to know, that's all."

She smiled a little. "You mean that?"

He shrugged back. "Yeah."

She walked over to him and kissed him, and he kissed her back.

"Let's head on home, then," she whispered to him.

\

They dozed on their horses during the night; there was no other way to sleep with the cart wheeling wild around Hyrule with three (possibly dead from thirst by now) men piled in the back. Despite her anger at them, Zelda regretted allowing Link to send them off without a driver, unwatched and alone. She could be lambasted as heartless and cruel (murderous, maybe, by sensationalists) if they were discovered dead in a royal cart, tied up and beaten.

"Do you think we'll find them?" she asked Link suddenly. He jerked awake and looked at her, blinking sleepily. "Wh…?"

"Can we find them? I… if they're not there I think we should find them."

"Who?"

"Those men."

"Oh. OH. Oh, yeah, uh, if they're not there I'll go 'round and find them."

"You don't sound very enthusiastic."

"Well." He shrugged. "I'd be happier not seeing them again."

"Think of it this way; with prosecution from the crown and a fair trial, there can be no doubt that these men deserve their punishment. Without it, left to die of starvation in a cart in the sun, they are randomly attacked and subjected to death in an inhumanely cruel way."

"They were going to roast my horse alive," Link growled in response, stroking Epona's mane protectively.

Zelda raised one hand to calm him. "Please try to see this my way."

He sighed. "I will try."

"Thank you."

"Is… there's a lot I've gotta learn, huh."

"What do you mean?"

"About… ruling the country and stuff."

Zelda shrugged. "I'm sure you'll do well. I'll help you."

"At least I'll have a good teacher," he replied sleepily.

\

They were back to the castle around noon the next day. Zelda dismounted without Link's help and went inside, immediately swarmed by her advisors and guards.

"Has anyone come by?" she asked, trying to be nonchalant.

"No, Your Majesty, well, besides the Marquess and her fiancé. Were you expecting anyone?"

"Fiancé?" Zelda looked round in surprise.

"Yes. Marquess Odelia Fitz is now engaged."

"Her? Oh—I must congratulate her."

"Of course."

"How else have things been?"

"Oh, we received several chests from Termina, something about a tax payment from the Vicereine?"

Zelda smiled. "Really, now."

"Yes."

"Good. Have it all deposited for safe keeping."

"Of course. Did you receive the guidance you were looking for?"

Zelda hesitated, slowing in her step, but not by much. "I did, in a way," she replied, and left it hanging for them to guess.

\

Link had the stable hands clean up Cerosa while he took care of Epona, yawning all the while and almost forgetting to remove her reins until she nipped at his sleeve. He kissed her dutifully on the nose before leaving the stables, and paused, considering the castle, then the marketplace. No, he would need money for this venture. So he turned and went to the castle first.

Link was not surprised to see the accountants hard at work, counting and recounting and making marks in the ledger. That was common. What surprised him was that they looked… happier. And there were several trunks of rupees sitting around (each one guarded, of course) and being counted.

"What's goin' on?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Oh! Master Link, good to see you. Please don't mind the clutter; we weren't expecting a payment of this size."

"Uh, yeah… looks like a great deal of money, huh?"

"Oh yes, very much so. I dare say Her Majesty will be able to relax some—ah, if you don't mind me saying."

"No, she could use a break." Link looked around, amazed; there must be thousands of rupees laying around.

The accountant finished up his tally and penciled it into the book before looking up again at Link. "I apologize, sir; what can we do for you?"

"Yeah, um. How much money do I have left in my account?"

"Hm, well. Looks like… " the accountant paged through the books, finally finding the one of the savings accounts of those on the castle payroll. "… you have approximately eight hundred rupees."

"Oh." He nodded. "Okay." Link hesitated. That didn't sound like much at all, certainly not enough to get a ring. But, he would stay optimistic. Maybe there was something he could work out with some of the shop owners; work for them to pay it off or something.

"Anything else you need, sir?"

"No, no. I just wanted to know. Thanks."

The accountant nodded and Link left the accounting room. He would remember that number for a while, and maybe he could even try poking around town that day, if he had time.

"Ah, there you are," a guard called out, bowing hastily to Link. "Her Majesty is lookin' for you."

"Why's that?"

"Dunno, she claimed she had an announcement."

"Oh. Well, let's hurry then."

He rushed up to the main hall where Zelda was seated in her throne, her people gathered to await her announcement. She stood when she saw Link walking in and gestured for him to stand near her. She smiled and took his hand with hers, lacing their fingers together. Link looked at the crowd, trying not to act standoffish or as if this was strange, to be so intimate before so many.

"As I said before our departure, Link and I left for peace and solace in praying to the Goddesses, for guidance in the coming months. We… received such guidance. For the betterment of Hyrule, Link and I have pledged to be engaged, for marriage when Hyrule recovers from her economic slump."

"How is this supposed to better Hyrule?" a guard muttered to his maid friend.

"Imagine the cash flow from all those won bets," she replied.

"Hyrule needs united leaders. Ones with the… wisdom, and the courage, to rule Hyrule peacefully, and successfully," Zelda continued.

"Do you think she's already pregnant?"

"Could be."

"Hence why they're getting engaged."

"I doubt she's pregnant," hissed another maid, jumping in, "because wouldn't they be rushing into a wedding, too?"

"Yeah but my cousin declared engagement and she had her first child well before the ceremony," the soldier replied with a shrug.

"This is a little different from your country bumpkin relatives!" hissed the interloper.

"With the announcement of our union, and, hopefully, your support, we can make a successful harvest, making a more successful winter celebration, and we can look forward to the warmer months again." She smiled politely at them. "Thank you."

There was polite applause, and Zelda squeezed Link's hand, and smiled at him as well.

"What now?" he asked her quietly.

She shrugged one shoulder. "You should probably send out a team to find the missing cart, for sure."

"Of course. And you?"

"I have to write congratulations to Odelia, a formal announcement for flyers around town…"

She glanced over, relieved that the crowd was starting to disperse. "And a suitable room for Tilly."

"Oh—are we allowed to… sleep together, now?"

Zelda shook her head. "No, not officially."

"Oh."

"But I'd prefer…" She smiled and turned away. "I am going to go work on my tasks for now."

"Alright." He wanted to kiss her, but instead, he left her to attend to her projects, as he had his own.

\

Epona looked up at him in surprise as he insisted on dressing her again. Two trips in one day! Really?! She trotted out in excitement as he finished putting on her various items of dress.

"Hang on, will ya!" he scolded her. As good as it felt to see her happy, he himself was apprehensive about the tasks ahead. He both did and didn't want to find the cart; if they found it, the men could be dead, or worse, still alive and crying out about Link's attack on them. But if they didn't, that cart could wind up anywhere. With Link's history, the men could sell the attack as unprovoked and claim innocence against the burning of the stable, that they were being blamed simply because they were the stablehands and not in the queen's favor. They could incite a riot against Zelda, especially now that she and Link had announced their engagement, and attack the castle.

Perhaps he was getting a little ahead of himself, but he chose to believe it was necessary. He had to start thinking about the country in this way, didn't he?

He rounded up some of the guards that were standing around.

"You mighta noticed that we didn't have the cart with us; we have to find it," he told them, once they were paying attention. "We found the guys that burned down the stable and piled 'em in the cart. So it's really important we find them soon so they can be brought in and questioned."

"You did!" exclaimed a guard in surprise.

"They were at Riversong," Link answered, and even to his own ears it sounded ridiculous and he'd been the one to find them, to tie them up and send them off wild.

"Idiots," muttered another guard, rolling his eyes.

"Exactly. So." He folded his arms. "We wanna bring them back, hopefully alive. So we have to move quickly, cus they've been goin' around for a while. Okay?"

He did a rough count of the guards while they stood, waiting for his direction. Nine of them, he'd been able to pull up. "Okay. Three of ya're gonna go sweepin' out northwest. Three more sweepin' southwest. The rest of you are coming with me and we're heading straight west from here. Look around for a few hours and we'll meet back here. They were in a cart attached to a brown horse."

They stood around uselessly for a few minutes.

"Uh… dismissed," Link offered. This would take some getting used to.

The guards bowed their heads and mounted their horses. Link climbed up on Epona quickly, and he led them out through the side entrance that pointed westward. The groups split off as designated, and Link led his group on westward, hoping they would and wouldn't find the cart of men.

They patrolled for several hours, all over the fields and delving slightly into the occasional small crop of trees, until Epona was no longer having fun and quite hungry.

"Just a little longer," Link kept murmuring to her, "please have patience, girl."

She finally came to a dead stop and whinnied at him, and Link sighed in frustration. "Alright guys, let's turn around."

"You sure, sir?" one of the guards asked, though only out of politeness. He was tired and hungry as well.

"Yeah. We're not gonna find 'em today."

"Maybe one of the other teams found them."

"We can hope."

When they returned to the stables, Link found to his shock and relief that one of the other groups had found the cart. It sat near the stables, and was soaking wet on the inside, though he could still see some places where blood and shit had stained the wood. He winced, turning around when one of the guards from the other group came running.

"Sir! We found the cart a few hours ago. We took the men to the dungeons, as per Her Majesty's instructions."

"How were they?" Link responded.

"Alive, but barely. They've been given some water and food, but that is all."

"Good. Good." Link's heart was pounding. "Did they say anything?"

"No, they were badly sunburned, however, and the one looked pretty tore up." The guard chuckled. "Did you wollop 'im or something?"

"He tried to kill my horse," Link replied evenly, petting Epona before climbing down. She didn't wait for him to begin undoing her reins and things before she trotted over for water.

"Fair enough, sir," the guard responded. "Did you wish to see them?"

"No. Thanks."

The guard nodded his head. Link finished taking care of Epona and put her away in her stall, hanging up her things and heading into the castle. It was in a furor over the found stablehands; he could hear the people talking about them. Link went directly to Zelda's rooms without stopping.

Zelda was sitting at her desk writing, and she glanced up at him when he entered. Tilly left when Link came in, and Zelda gestured for him to sit with her. "Hello," she murmured.

"Hey." He sat with her, waiting. Zelda finished writing and set her pen down, looking up at him and offering him a bare smile.

"They found the men."

"Yeah."

"I assume that's why you came here."

"Yeah." He fidgeted slightly.

Zelda sighed and rubbed her forehead with one hand. "They… seem reluctant to speak. They are badly dehydrated and sunburnt. I plan to have their trial as soon as possible."

"What if… they still don't want to speak?"

She shrugged. "I'm not going to plead with them. We will hold them until they are willing. They will be given minimum sustenance."

"So… either way… they'll be prisoners."

"Oh no. If we go to trial they will be found guilty and sentenced. I will not harbor arsonists, not when we have so little as is."

Link nodded. "Of course not."

"And you are not to go down there and face them at this time. Even to talk to them. I want you to keep away from them."

Link looked at her in surprise. "Uh… of course I won't. I don't know if I could keep calm if I wanted to."

Zelda nodded and sighed, propping her head up on one hand.

"Are you alright?" Link finally asked her quietly.

"I'm tired," she murmured in response.

"You want to go to bed?" he asked, a little surprised.

"It's just the weight of everything," she replied. "I'm just… I just want everything to be better."

"So do I. And it will be. It's just gonna take a while."

"I know, but I don't want to wait."

Link glanced down at her papers, then up at her. Zelda looked back at him and shrugged a little, so Link stood up and reached for her.

"Come on."

Zelda stood and reluctantly let him take her hand, unsure of what he wanted. He simply led her to the bed and had her lay down, and then he took his place next to her and put an arm across her waist, closing his eyes.

"What is this? What are we doing?" Zelda asked him quietly.

"Just relax, yeah?" Link hugged her closer and she turned onto her side so that their noses touched. She smiled at him.

"This is nice," she said quietly. Link nodded. "But… I still have so much—

"Forget about it," he mumbled, keeping his arm on her and holding her to the bed. "There'll always be more paperwork and more problems tomorrow."

"Yes, I realize." She nestled into the pillow and looked at him as she put her free arm around him. "At least you are here."

He kissed her. Zelda smiled and kissed him back.

"I love you," he reminded her, lest she forget.

"I love you," she whispered back, closing her eyes.

"Are you falling asleep?" he teased her.

"Well, I haven't slept much. We were riding all night and I was fighting to stay awake."

"You make a good point," he said, yawning.

"Seems I wasn't the only one," she answered. She kissed him, and he mumbled and pulled her close.

"Not gonna let me sleep?" he asked her softly.

"You can sleep," she said, shaking her head. But it was too late, his kisses were growing more urgent, and she began to pull at his shirt, tugging it up from his waistband and reaching up his shirt to touch his hot skin.

"Why do you do this to me?" she whispered in his ear as he fumbled and fought with the laces of her dress.

"_I_ do this to _you_?" he asked her doubtfully as he kissed her neck.

"Of course you do," she sighed as he rolled over onto his back and she climbed up top of him. "I can't resist you, even when I know I should."

"Surely… you can…" he whispered.

"Not anymore, I can't," she muttered in response. She touched his hair, running her fingers through it, then down his cheek. He turned his head and kissed her palm.

"Come on down and lay here with me," he asked her, and she nodded once and did so, lying back down at his side.

"You don't want to…?" she asked, sounding a little relieved.

"No. I mean—it's not that it's not totally fun for me or anything. I just want to see you. Look at you."

"We just spent a week together."

"Yeah, but now we're… we're engaged."

"Is it different?" She propped herself up on one elbow.

Link shrugged. "Kinda. But in a good way. Like… agh, like now that we can show other people, it's real. Now that they know, it's real. It can't be put aside or dropped and ignored, swept under the rug. You know?"

She considered his point, and nodded. "Yes. I do." She smiled and curled back up next to him. He wrapped his arms around her once more, holding her tight.

Eventually, they slipped out of their clothes and under the covers, but they did nothing, besides hug onto each other and look at each other.

"Do you want a ring?" Link asked, after a little while.

Zelda shrugged one shoulder. "Eventually. But don't worry about it too much."

He ran his fingers through her hair, mindful of the snarls as he gazed at her. Zelda yawned and closed her eyes, and soon she was quite asleep. Link stayed awake for a while, watching her, and trying not to think about the men in the dungeon.

It would be easy to sneak down there.

He knew where most of the secret tunnels led; the castle was to start winding down for the night, and he'd evaded guards before. He shifted onto his back, staring at the ceiling. There was a dagger in his room, on the desk. The men would see him coming, but he doubted they would struggle much, if they were so weak from days of travel in the sun.

He fought the thoughts back; Zelda would hate him for it. Maybe not hate him, but she would definitely recoil at the horror of it. It was too terrible, and not like him at all. He sighed in frustration and sat up. That was what he had to remember; he was not the sort to kill men in cold blood.

That goblin had been _different_, he could have been a threat. And no one knew or cared about it. These men had families and Zelda had to uphold the law, especially now. He sat for a while as Zelda slept, then finally, he laid back down and closed his eyes. Zelda would bring justice, he was sure of it.

If she didn't, he would.

\

Zelda waited for a few days before going to the dungeons, wanting to stretch it out. The men were given regular meals, one in morning and one at night, at her order, but otherwise none communicated with them. Finally, on the second day, one of the guards told her that one of the prisoners had asked for his wife, his mother, then to be let out, to be sent home.

"It wasn't my idea!" he cried desperately, at last.

Zelda nodded. "So then, he is ready to talk."

"At least one of them is."

"Good." She bit her lower lip, considering. "The one that spoke… take him away. Keep him separated."

"Where, Your Majesty?"

She shrugged. "Find somewhere. A broom closet or something. Somewhere with just enough space for him and a guard."

"And then?"

"Wait. He is to wait."

"For how long?"

"As long as it takes."

The guard nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."

First, they took the talker out of his cell. The other men looked up strangely, in interest, but said nothing.

"Am I gonna go home?" the talker asked desperately, but the guards did not respond. They led him to a small, cramped closet of sorts. He entered and looked around in confusion as another guard entered and stood with him, leaning on the door.

"So… so… what's going on?" the criminal, Pello, asked in a panic.

The guard shrugged and said nothing.

"Come on, why am I in this cramped room, man? Tell me! Am I gonna see my family?" Understanding dawned on his face. "Are you guys tryin' to sweat me out? That's it! You're trying to sweat me out! Ha! Well it's not gonna work! Ha ha ha!"

As usual, the guard said nothing.

"That's what you're doing, yeah?"

Silence.

\

More guards came down, and collected the second prisoner, and did the same to him. This left Brind, his swelling much relieved but his grudge running deep. They could hang the other two, but he would confess to nothing.

"Your Majesty, he's quite stubborn. The first one spoke up quickly. The second not long after. But Brind won't respond."

Zelda sighed. She wanted this over quickly. "Then I suppose we will have to be patient," she murmured.

It took a few more days, and Brind was still saying nothing. It saddened Zelda deeply; they'd been something of friends before the whole mess. Her father had hired him when she was quite young. But she was not going to go down to plead to him. Now was not the time to beg to criminals.

She went to Link. He was sitting in his rooms, reading a book that Zelda had politely suggested he read (about court etiquette).

"I'm sorry," she said, going and sitting next to him.

"What's wrong?" Link asked, raising his eyebrows. He felt a brief thread of panic; why was she apologizing? What was going on?

"How… do you think… um… could you hold your temper?"

"Eh? Yeah, I'm sure I could. What's wrong?"

She sighed. "Brind… isn't talking. I want him to talk."

Link thought of his dagger, but said nothing. "Okay."

"I think… if he had to face you down… after all, you both got along once."

"Kind of."

"Well. It was your horse. And you found them. So I think… it would be best if you interrogated Brind."

"What do I need to ask him?" Even though Link had so many ideas of his own.

"Nothing. You shouldn't talk to him at all."

"Really?" He raised his brows.

"Yes. He should feel pressure to speak first."

Link puzzled over this, then nodded. "Okay. I can try."

She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Promise me you won't wallop him."

He nodded. "I'll try."

They sat together, looking away from each other.

"This will be the last of the dirty business," she assured him. "Hyrule is an honest country, it's a good place. It's only brutal to those who trespass against her people first."

Link nodded. "When do you want me to visit him?"

"Not for some time. We'll have him separated, then sitting with a guard for a while. I'll let you know."

"Alright." Link hesitated, nodding. He could do this.

Zelda ran her fingers through his hair, sighing. "So."

"I wish we coulda gotten along, you know?"

"What, you and the stable hands?"

"Yeah."

"As do I. I thought you all were. That is why I was surprised… at the attack."

Link shook his head, frowning. "I'll try to be calm, I promise. But that's the best I can tell you."

"Thank you," she said with a little nod. "Are you hungry at all?"

"No, not in particular."

"Me either."

They sat together, holding hands in silence.

"Sorry, I think this whole thing has… put a damper on my mood."

"It's fine." He offered her a half-hearted smile. "I think I know how you feel."

"There are going to be ugly times ruling the country, you know? It won't be all… parties and love-making."

"Ah well then, do I even want to stay?" he said with a chuckle. Zelda looked at him in shock, then laughed when she realized he was kidding.

"At least you can always cheer me up," she said, giggling.

"I try."

She sighed and leaned toward him, resting her cheek on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead.

"What now?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "I could use a distraction. Um—what have you read so far?" she asked, tapping the book.

Link tilted his head slightly. "A lot of stuff about forks and napkins."

"Mm, once you practice, it'll get easier. When you're living it, it becomes engrained, you know?"

"Yeah."

Again, their comfortable silence. Until Link's stomach rumbled.

"I take it you're hungry now?" Zelda asked him with a smile.

\

Theo went to his son's nursery to pay his child a visit. He had some time to spare, after all. He scooped his son up in his arms and sat down in the nursing chair, looking at him. Mikal fidgeted slightly and looked up at Theo, then around the room again, gurgling. Theo looked at him for a long time, even as his son became increasingly agitated and fussed, crying a little.

Theo gave him a gentle squeeze, but all he really saw was the slight reddish tinge to his puff of hair, and when they did make eye contact, the blue eyes. The deep blue eyes, so unlike their dark brown eyes. They would probably change when he got older, most babies' eyes did, according to the wet nurse. The hair too, supposedly.

Mikal cried out softly, louder than before, and Theo finally sighed and stood, laying him back in his crib. There was something a little fierce in his son's face when he looked up at his father that he couldn't quite place, but he'd seen it before. Theo looked over him in the crib, feeling a little sad at watching his son turn away from him with a frustrated sigh, his hands in fists above his head.

He loved the boy, his little boy, but there was a strange feeling, as if his son didn't feel the same. Ridiculous, he was just a baby and didn't have such complex feelings yet. He knew hunger, temperature, and sleepiness, and that rounded it out. Theo was just being paranoid, because of Verla's past with… that guy. He tickled under Mikal's chin, but Mikal squawked in response, annoyed (or at least he sounded annoyed to Theo). Finally, feeling frustrated and a little sad, Theo left.

\

A week passed, and Zelda was worried. The gardener had assured her that he'd planted the flowers, but he also warned her that it would take a while before they would bloom. She was trying to act as if that was fine with her, but she only had a few small leaves left on the plant in her room, and she was hesitant to rely on just the tea.

Jalila had spoken so confidently; was one cup in the morning really enough to keep pregnancy at bay? Zelda unfolded the little fabric scrap she'd been keeping the dried leaves in, and looked at them. She considered asking her own little stash of tea be kept to one side, so that she could add the leaves and drink the mixture on her own. But on the other hand, if she and Link were to share tea, he might drink it by accident and she didn't know if he would get sick from it, if the strange stuff in the plant would affect him.

She rubbed her forehead and looked out the window; it was so early that the sky was barely turning grey with morning. She'd been tossing and turning all night. Link had been sitting in a small room with Brind since last night. As far as she knew, Brind was still alive. She turned and set the packet of leaves down, then stretched back out in bed to stare up at the ceiling and think. Link had left not long after dinner, and he'd eaten little. Zelda hadn't been able to talk to him, hadn't been able to look at him, really. Even her reasoning, that it was important for Hyrule, had rung false in her ears. She was nervous about getting their confessions, to taking them to court for their betrayal. She was worried that Link wouldn't be able to control himself.

Tilly walked into Zelda's rooms and bowed, carrying a tray of tea for breakfast.

"Any word?" Zelda asked quietly.

"No, Your Majesty. It's been quiet."

Zelda frowned; quiet should be good, and it probably was fine, but she couldn't help but worry. It was her nature. She sighed and left the bed, going to sit and have her tea. She doubted she would be eating much until she knew how Link was doing with Brind.

\

Brind glanced up casually when the door to his hidey-hole (as he'd come to think of it) opened, and for a few seconds he stared in alarm when he realized who was coming to interrogate him, and he struggled to compose himself before Link could smell his fear.

Link glanced briefly at Brind. He was dragging a chair behind him, filling the closet with the sound of scraping wood until he thunked it down across from the prisoner and settled down into it, settling back in his seat and staring, waiting, his heart pounding and fighting to keep his face passive. Now it was up to him to sit and wait, and watch Brind for any signs of weakness.

Brind should've known; of course they'd send the big bad wolf in after him. Everyone else was just a decoy.

It hadn't even been his idea, that little smartass Murry had brought up burning down the barn, then Toby had suggested leaving his horse in it, and Brind'd been good and drunk and, thinking they were joking (after all, they were laughing a lot) so he said that would be a great revenge. And then he'd gone to bed.

After several hours, Murry (he thought, but it was fuzzy) was shaking him awake.

"We gotta go," he hissed urgently.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Brind sat up and looked towards the door; why was it so bright in his room? The door was open, and Toby (he guessed) stood in the frame, holding a lantern and looking wide-eyed.

"Come on. We gotta head out of here."

Brind stumbled up out of bed and dry-heaved with nausea, then stumbled along behind Murry and out of his room, in the servants' quarters. Once they were out, he thought he smelled smoke, and he could hear a horse neighing in alarm. Cold went down his back.

"What did you do?" he whispered, looking at Murry.

Murry shook his head and took the lantern from Toby, extinguishing it and putting it back on its hanging post near the door. He took lead and hustled along, out towards the fields. It would be walking for a while, but he knew a small farm on the way out of town, its only occupants a half-deaf old farmer and some horses that he raised for selling.

"What about the other horses?" Brind asked sharply. His only beef was with the man himself (and, okay, Epona bit him a lot), and the thought of so many horses dying because of one bad drunk joke—

"Out in the other fields," Murry replied quickly, coughing and spitting up a wad of phlegm.

"Goddesses above," Brind swore. "D'you realize what you've done, Murry? We're gonna be killed!"

"It was your idea!" he snapped in reply, turning back. A brightness caught his eye and he stared in horror at the stable. Epona was screaming in earnest now, and Link was tossing in his sleep.

"Run," Murry gasped, and they did, like cowards, into the night. A few days later, with stolen horses and equipment, they settled in at the house by the lake, venturing towards small towns for supplies, cobbling together disguises out of mud and each others' clothes. And some time later, Brind woke up to Link standing over him, his eyes ablaze with hatred. He'd lost some teeth that day.

And then there they were, sitting and staring at each other uncomfortably in the small room. Link's arms were loosely folded and he stared at Brind, studying him as if he were no more than a bug that Link was considering stepping on. Brind settled in and stared back. He wouldn't snap, he wouldn't talk. Link shifted only a little, getting comfortable. He had the thought that it would be a long night.

\

When Zelda finally could no longer keep her eyes open, she climbed under the covers and let her eyes close. Without Link, the nightmares had returned in earnest, and she put off sleep as long as possible. It had made her a very irritable person when confronted with inconsequential problems. She rubbed her face with her hands, and sent out one little prayer before sleep; that she have no dreams.

But perhaps her prayer had been too small.

She was sitting at her vanity. The mirror was cracked, the wood splintered and moldering. Most of the little pots that were usually there were gone, or left open, their contents dried to a concrete-like texture. The room was frigid, the window glass smashed out, the bed torn apart. Everything was covered in dust. She shivered in the cold, detecting danger. But she was frozen in place, and she had to stare into the different shards of the mirror to finally see him. Ganondorf stood just past her left shoulder, staring at her with a little smirk, his skin pale and his eyes sunk in his skull, but bright with unnatural fire.

"What?" she was able to ask, her lips barely moving. "What now is this? No attack? No lunging for my throat?"

"What you see here is what will come to pass," Ganondorf growled. "This is your future; death, alone in this room."

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "How do you figure? You're… you're but a figment. You're just a dream."

"Am I now? Am I just a dream?" He walked up to her and rested a heavy hand on her head. "If I'm but a thought in your head, why does it fill you with fear?"

"Get off me," Zelda muttered angrily.

"Oh, now you're so brave?"

"You're dead!" Zelda snapped at the mirror. "You're dead and gone, and I will rule Hyrule with my champion and your better at my side." Ganondorf growled and clenched Zelda's head tightly. She reached up with her left hand and grabbed his wrist. "Let me go!" she cried out.

"No!" Ganondorf shouted back.

Zelda slapped at his hand with her free one, even as he was growling and clenching down tighter and tighter until her head was aching. Finally, she was able to wake up and free herself from the nightmare, and she lay there panting, staring at the ceiling, certain she would not be able to fall back asleep.

\

Link was tired and bored. He hated Brind and the others for what they'd done, and he hated them more for, through their actions, forcing him into waiting up when he'd rather sleep. So many days had passed. He was starting to see things out of the corners of his eyes; small little hands or dark figures that melded into shadows, the walls breathing. Strange things.

Brind looked at Link, deciding that they'd all had enough of this game and obviously they were going nowhere. Perhaps if he explained, and begged mercy from the queen, he would be able to keep his head.

"Look," he said finally, his voice cracking a little. He hadn't realized how thirsty he'd been; his meals had been limited and meager throughout the week, while Link ate well. A short time ago, Link would've shared.

Link looked at him sharply, his eyes alight. Brind hesitated, suddenly unsure if he wanted to confess anything.

"Uhh… look. I'll tell you what happened."

Link settled into place and nodded. "Go on."

\

Zelda was staring at the ceiling, her arms folded on her chest, when there was the soft knocking at her door. Tilly being gone, Zelda got up, flung on a robe, and went and answered the door on her own. Link stood there and was, for the time, flanked by guards.

"Your Majesty," he said quietly, "the prisoner Brind has confessed."

"Has he?" Zelda glanced at the guards, and then back at Link. She was exhausted, she wanted sleep by his side. Link seemed to be constantly glancing out of the corners of his reddened eyes with a little frown, slightly jerking his head with his eyes now and again, like he was looking for something. He looked as tired as she felt.

"Good, then," she said finally. "Ah… where is he now?"

"He sits in his cell from before, for trial."

Zelda sighed. "Then we'll have a trial in the morning."

"It's already near morning, Zel. I'm exhausted, I ain't slept in a week hardly."

"You… they never relieved you?" Zelda glanced fiercely at the guards.

"No, no; he wouldn't let us," volunteered a guard in a panic.

"It's true, I wouldn't," Link offered. "So don't be angry at 'em."

Zelda raised her eyebrows. "I appreciate your dedication." She didn't say to him that she would have appreciated it more if he'd let off during that long week.

"Of course," he mumbled. "What would you like I do now?"

"Get some rest," she urged him, nodding her head. "Please."

"Okay." He nodded and glanced towards his door, then back to her. "Here, or…"

"In your own rooms!" Zelda gasped, blushing and glancing at the guards, who stood silent, pretending to have heard nothing.

"Alright then. G'night." And he turned and stumbled off.

Zelda glanced at the guards. "Make the men wait a day for their trial. I'm sure we could all use a good night's rest. Thank you for your discretion." She threw it in quickly at the end; less of a thanks and more of an order. The guards nodded and bowed, and left her to her devices, waiting for the heavy door to click shut before they would snicker quietly between themselves.

Zelda waited a few moments, then used the secret tunnel and went to Link's room, finding him quite collapsed on his bed and breathing deeply. He hardly flinched as she approached him, either knowing it was her or so deep in sleep he couldn't hear her. He'd barely managed to shove his boots off, and she slowly lowered herself onto the bed, in case he should wake and startle.

She needn't have worried; that deeply-buried instinct had woken him up, and he watched her with a red eye as she sat down on the bed near him, wriggling downward onto the pillows. After a few minutes he lifted himself and moved closer, throwing an arm over her waist and keeping her close before closing his eyes again and drifting back off. Zelda stroked his hair, but he didn't react, and she closed her eyes, feeling that now she would get a deep sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Link was still asleep when Zelda woke up. The room was the light gray of early morning. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking around his room. It was simple, with very few adornments to mark it as his, as if even now he expected he would need to get up and depart suddenly. Zelda settled back under the warm covers and turned to look at him, watching him sleep. It wasn't often that she had such an opportunity. After some time of looking at him, she climbed out of bed and looked around in his closet; just the few things that she had picked up for him for special occasions.

She sighed and glanced at him, but Link was out cold. But for the slight movement of his fingers and his chest as he slept, she would have feared him dead. Zelda hesitated, considering lying back down by him, to breathe in his warmth. But she had much to do; now that the men had confessed, they could be tried and found guilty and… punished. She would have to be careful. This trial and her decisions would tell the people a great deal about her planned ruling style. She wanted to be fair, but she did not want the men languishing in the dungeons on their dime forever. They couldn't afford prisoners, and she was not about to have them working for her again. Not after how they'd turned traitor over imagined sleights.

She paced, slowly, chewing her lower lip. Beheading was an option, but it was grisly and a bit savage, and required precise swinging for a fast death (and even then sometimes they twitched a bit afterwards, didn't they?). But there weren't many she would trust to swing quickly and effortlessly. Having Link do it would be too… intimate. A personal executioner for a personal crime. There was hanging, but they didn't have a gallows in operation. Ganondorf had destroyed the last one. In fact, he'd… he'd preferred beheading, hadn't he? She shivered. That was definitely out, then.

So what was left? Drawn and quartering, barbaric. Iron suits; special lined iron 'coffins' with spikes on the inside, sickening. Racking, as bad as quartering but with less horses.

She stopped dead when the door opened. It was only Tilly, apparently looking for her and nodding when she saw Her Majesty. "Good morning, Your Majesty. Would you like to take morning tea, here?"

"Ah… yes, I think that would be good."

"Any for Master Link?"

"No, I don't think he'll be awake for some time," Zelda replied quietly.

"Of course." Tilly nodded her head and left again, to go fetch Zelda's breakfast. Zelda was still pacing and trying to think of appropriate deaths; she was supposing they could build a new gallows (expensive wood and labor, and wouldn't building such a structure speak towards some sort of… to make it a real choice for sentencing? She didn't know if she wanted something so accessible to the kingdom to use.

It wasn't until Tilly brought some tea up that it dawned on her, as suddenly as if she had… been trying to avoid thinking of it all along. She frowned, hesitating before drinking her tea, swallowing the first cup down quickly. Poisoning. Quick and fairly clean for merciful deaths, depending on the ones they used, cheap enough, hopefully, but still final, and still a heavy weight, a punishment, a sentence. Sure, there would be no public spectacle, but even criminals deserved a little dignity in death, didn't they?

She poured herself more tea but then sat there and stared at it, wringing her hands. It had an acrid taste at the back of her throat, and her tongue felt raw, scalded by the hot water. She put the cup down and sat back down in the bed, pulling the covers up to her waist; it was still cold before proper dawn, but the days were full of warm wind from the south, promising a good spring and summer for growing. She could only hope that it would hold true for them.

In the still and silence of the room, she noticed Link's breathing change, and suddenly he gave a little cough and lifted his head, looking around with bleary eyes. He glanced at her and nodded slightly, as if recognizing that she was there, and then he settled back down on the pillows. She reached out and touched his hair, and he made a little noise of approval, closing his eyes again.

"What are we up to today?" he asked, after a while.

Zelda shook her head slightly. "Nothing. Do not trouble yourself about it. I am certain that you are exhausted, as am I."

He nodded slightly, put an arm across her waist, and pulled her towards him. She ran her fingers through his hair and slouched down next to him, watching him breathe and sleep. She touched him, lightly, on the cheek, and he turned his head and kissed her palm. But he didn't open his eyes again, and soon after he fell into a deep sleep, and Zelda joined him. With her close to him, the curve of her hip under his hand, Link did not have his nightmares, with her head at his feet and her blood on his sword.

Now and again, he would half-wake and glance at her, assuring himself that she was still alive, and he would kiss her cheek and settle back onto the pillows. At some point in the early afternoon, after Tilly had checked on them once and only seen them sleeping, Link woke up again with a gentle yawn, rubbing his eyes, and looked towards Zelda. She was laying awake, staring at the ceiling and thinking, her arms crossed at her waist. Link shifted and rolled onto his side, sitting up and leaning over her, touching her cheek.

"What is it? You always look so serious," he asked her quietly. Zelda offered him a faint smile, but it was grim and didn't reach her eyes.

"Just my thoughts on… the trial and… possible punishments, and…"

He nodded, still touching her face, then kissed her forehead. "Don't worry about it, okay? You'll know what to do."

Zelda was quiet, looking at him, then she took his face in her hands and kissed him. He kissed her back, their lips lingering together, and she sighed and kissed him with more urgency, hoping that he could help her to not… think about tomorrow.

"What, sweetheart?" Link whispered, gently touching her lower lip with his tongue.

Zelda smiled, and shook her head, running her fingers through his hair. "I like that."

"Which part?" He moved over top of her, kissing her forehead and shifting his weight to balance on one arm as he reached to touch her, teasing her by touching her inner thigh, then her hip, just barely ghosting over where she wanted him to touch her most. He pulled her night dress up to her waist and kissed her, finally, slowly, tickling his fingers down the back of her thigh and running his finger up and through her womanhood. Zelda shivered and looked at him, her pupils huge with excitement.

"Please," she whispered, smiling. She looked into his face and smiled slightly. "Link…"

"What?" He hesitated, leaning back slightly. It was as if there was an electric charge in her skin.

"Hold me down," she ordered him softly.

"What?" There was a change in his tone, one of surprise and uncertainty.

"Hold. Me. Down," she repeated, a little louder, her face bright red from shyness and excitement.

"Well…" he started, but it was too late. He cleared his throat and kissed her again, settling his weight on top of her and taking her wrists in one hand, pinning them above her head. Zelda wriggled slightly and flexed her hands, trying to see if she could get out of his grip, but he only pushed her wrists harder into the pillow, taking his other hand and inserting one finger deep inside of her. She whimpered, and he was surprised to feel how excited she already was. He forced his finger as deep as he could, kissing her deeply and forcing his tongue into her mouth. Zelda wriggled her hips and shivered, parting her thighs for him. Carefully, he inserted a second finger, moving downward to kiss her collarbone, using his thumb on her as well.

"Ahh," she sighed, relaxing in his grip.

"I love you," he whispered, trying not to hurt her, trying to make her happy. Zelda closed her eyes and flexed her hands slightly.

"Let me go," she murmured. He did, and she cupped his face in her hands, pulling him back up and kissing him deeply. "I love you," she replied, kissing him again. She took her hands from his face, still kissing him while her hands worked at the lacing of his trousers, pulling him free and running her hand up and down the length. Link shuddered in pleasure and kissed her again. Zelda spread her knees and pulled him in with her free hand, guiding him inside and forcing him deep inside, arching her back slightly. Link hissed through his teeth and gripped the sheets, thrusting until he was in up to the hilt.

"Oh goddesses," he gasped, settling atop of her.

"I love you," she whispered, kissing his cheek. Link closed his eyes and put his face to her neck, starting to thrust back and forth. Zelda wrapped her arms around his chest, holding him close and closing her eyes.

"I love you," he murmured, taking his time with her, shuddering in pleasure as Zelda lifted her hips to take him in deeper.

They moved together slowly, taking their time. Something about the warm sunlight, the sound of birds coming back to Hyrule to reluctantly rebuild their nests, and the idea, the hope, that they would be okay, made them relax. Link kissed Zelda's neck as he touched her, listening to her pounding heart with his head between her breasts.

Eventually, he sped up, and Zelda clamped down around him, biting her lower lip and moaning as she lifted her hips up, feeling a sudden urgency for them to find climax together, desperate in her need of him. Link propped himself up and looked into her eyes as he panted, and soon he was hunched over her, and then curling in on himself with a groan as he tensed and went still, Zelda clinging to him desperately and arching her back, her hand busy between them. She collapsed back onto the bed in contentment, wiping her hand on the sheets, and Link settled back in on top of her, closing his eyes.

"You're not going to fall back asleep now, are you?" she asked quietly, stroking his hair.

"No, of course not," he mumbled, yawning. Zelda laughed and went back to running her fingers through his hair, letting the sleepy afterglow of their lovemaking seep into her bones. After a little while, when Link was gently snoring against her chest, Zelda stared at the ceiling and thought over the trial, how she thought it would go. Probably quickly; the men had all confessed, though the man to blame was a little muddled between them. They would all die the same. She shivered, cold despite Link's warmth. She didn't want to think any more about people dying, but they'd committed treason; she would be a soft fool to not execute them.

She let her thoughts go around and around in circles while she toyed with Link's hair, until she realized she was tangling his hair in knots and she stopped herself, swore a little under her breath, then tried to smooth the curls back out. Link woke up when she tugged a little too hardly, and he muttered and lifted his head to look at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a yawn.

"I apologize; I seemed to have made a mess of your hair…" she murmured.

"Oh, it's fine." He laughed and reached up, touching his hair and trying to find the knots. Zelda reached up to help, able to see where the tangles had settled.

"Here, there's a nasty one here," she offered, picking carefully at the knot with her nails. Link tilted his head towards her hands, and he looked at her, her face slightly worried in concentration, and disregarding the tangles in his hair he leaned down and kissed her.

"You're being awful friendly," Zelda remarked, looking at him in surprise.

"I haven't seen you in a week. I've missed you."

"You were only downstairs," she muttered. "You could've come up—

"No." Link shook his head slightly. "I had to get his confession first." His face was very grim, and he looked away from her. He felt anger again, and a thirst for a fight.

"Link, what's wrong?" she asked him quietly.

He shook his head. "Any thoughts about… about how you'll do it?"

"Do what?" She pulled on his shoulders, trying to bring him back towards her. She felt slightly sick. He knew, too, that they had to die for their crime.

"When… you go to sentencing them. How?"

She looked away. "I was thinking about… poison."

"Poison?" he asked in surprise.

The door suddenly opened, and both of them looked towards it. It was only Tilly, obviously looking for Zelda. She slipped in, shutting the door firmly behind herself, and while she was turned slightly away, Link shuffled off of Zelda and pulled up more of the covers, tucking them both in up to the chin.

"I apologize for the disturbance Your Majesty, Sir. Are you near ready for lunch?"

"Oh," murmured Zelda, looking towards the brightly-lit windows, then towards Tilly. "I… yes, we will head down momentarily." She pulled free of Link's arms and sat up, moving carefully in such a way that the friction of the sheets shifted her nightdress back down to her calves. "I should dress and wash, as well."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Would you like assistance?"

"No, that won't be necessary. I will… tend to it."

"Of course." Tilly dipped her head, feeling rather embarrassed to be in the same room, and she turned her head and left.

"I assume that you wish for my help?" Link asked her, as Zelda regretfully climbed out of bed.

"No… I think I want to bathe alone."

"Why?"

Zelda hunched her shoulders slightly, and hesitated, not turning towards him. "I…"

"It's because you're dwelling on the trial?" He climbed out of bed and held his pants up with one hand, going around to look her in the eye.

"Yes. I want to think on it alone. You're a distraction," and she smiled slightly, "a good one, but still."

He frowned and stepped closer to her. "But I'm supposed to be your husband soon. You can't keep everything a secret from me forever. Please. You have to open up to me." He took her hand. "I can't just be… a toy or a statue."

Zelda's gaze softened. "I apologize," she whispered.

"I'm… I will be your husband. This is something you have to do. I want to be taken seriously by them and you."

Zelda cupped his face in her hands and kissed him, nodding. "Yes. I know. I know. I'm sorry." She kissed him again, and he wrapped his arm around her.

"You know how well we work together."

"I just fear that… if we talk about it out loud, it will really mean something. It will be… it finalizes it."

Link nodded. "You are going to have to make hard decisions like this."

"I know." She sighed.

"You've already had to make many. You will have to make many more. But I will help you. I promise I will help you. I've always promised that. I've sworn to do so from the beginning. I don't know how many times I can remind you." He even seemed slightly angry, and Zelda shrank back from him. Link sighed, and shook his head. "Well. If you wanted to go bathe, then you probably should before lunch."

Zelda nodded and looked away. Only a few hours ago, they'd been so close, no words between them, just the soft sounds and the looks and touching. And now the little rift between them.

"Do… you want to join me in the bath?" she asked now, though it was certainly too late.

"I suppose, now, if you're going to invite me." His tone was a little bitter and sarcastic. Zelda still couldn't look at him.

"You obviously have thoughts about the trial," she murmured, "and you're right, I should listen to them."

He looked at her critically, trying to decide if she was pandering to him. He shook his head. "No, it's fine. I'll talk to you at lunch."

Zelda rubbed her arms to warm up as she walked reluctantly to the secret passage. Link laced up his pants, looking away from her. He was calming down again, and the idea of being in a warm bath with his naked queen was alluring, but it stung him as well. Why should he do the only thing she seemed to want from him?

Zelda hesitated at the door, turning back to look at him. "Do you think poison is a good choice?"

Link glanced up at her, her eyes huge and full of worry.

"Is it?"

"I don't know. Honestly, I'd go for taking them out in a way that fits the crime. Immolation."

Zelda raised her eyebrows. "You'd burn them alive."

"They tried it on my horse."

Zelda shook her head slightly. "I don't know. It seems… a horrible way to go. I am trying to take pity on them in the only way I really can."

"Why should you? Why should I?"

"Because… because obviously their actions were out of desperation. This is a hard time for everyone. And they worked for my family for a long time."

Link shook his head. "I disagree. All the more for a harsh punishment. They insulted you! They flung out their loyalty!"

"But a… such a shocking and painful and… slow death. A spectacle of death, I can't… I never had the stomach for the few public executions we had to perform." She rubbed her chest, and when Link noticed she really did seem pale and out of sorts, he shook his head. Would they ever discuss this?

"Fine, let's go take a bath."

"Let's?" she asked in surprise. Link nodded and flung up his hands. He'd lost this one.

He walked over and took her hand, directing her instead to his bathroom, which was almost as opulent as hers (but not quite, because she was the queen after all). They were silent while Link prepared the bath and the fire, and when it was finally ready, he took her hand, helping her up and removing her dress, holding her hand while she climbed into the bath. He undressed quickly and climbed in with her, and their silence continued for some time. Finally, Zelda looked at him.

"So. You think… fire is a better death? Burning alive?"

"Only because it fits the crime," he replied, looking at her and then away.

"This is true." She sighed, shaking her head. "It seems so… brutal."

"Punishment for treason should be, shouldn't it?"

"I do not want my actions to be seen as tyrannous."

"They won't be." He reached for her hand in the water and pulled her over, and she rested her cheek on his chest. "They ruined castle property, caused an increase in our debt, almost killed a priceless horse of the castle, stole others, the list goes on."

Zelda closed her eyes. "Yes."

He kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms around her. "They will support you. I believe in you. They can believe in you."

After a while, they finally climbed out of the bath and dried off. Zelda went to her room and pulled on clean clothes, then she went back to Link's room, and together, they walked down to the main hall to eat something, to forget for a bit what would happen the next day.

\

The trial was fast. Zelda sat in her throne in an elegant gown in deep blue, with her heavy gold crown and scepter (ridiculous items, but they made a statement). Link stood next to her throne in his deep blue-grey set, his hands folded before him, a sword strapped round his waist. The three former stable hands stood between guards, their arms and feet bound together in chains.

"You have all confessed to your crime of burning the stable, stealing property, committing treason, and damaging royal property. Especially in these trying times, causing such a grievous insult to the country and burdening the people as a whole with the recompense for repairs. Especially when we still have not been able to reclaim the taxes from much of the upper class." She glanced around the room, at the sullen, and some of them embarrassed, faces. She knew it was a crass call-out, but she did not want to seem, in these moments, like a soft-hearted and forgiving queen. It was not the time for it.

"For your crimes, there is only one appropriate punishment. Death." The room was so still and silent, she thought her ears were ringing. There was faint weeping from the back of the room; possibly one of the accused's mothers. Link's hand tightened on his sword's pommel. Zelda swallowed hard. She'd had a hard time avoiding not thinking about this moment, even after the bath and during lunch and while trying to read her favorite boots.

"An appropriate death for the… for the crime. For the burning of the stables…" She tried to avoid looking at the men, feeling itchy and claustrophobic under the weights of their eyes. "They will be burned alive. Immolated in the castle courtyard."

Screams erupted from the back of the room, and cries of alarm; the crying woman had fainted, and the guards were helping her up. The stablehands were frozen in shock; she was actually doing this to them, they were actually going to be punished. To be killed.

The guards pressed closer to them, to hold them hostage with their strength. Zelda looked at Link out of the corner of her eye, but he was staring at the guards and the men, a nerve in his jaw twitching.

"People!" Zelda managed to shout, bringing calm again to the court hall (or something resembling it). "People! I do not send down this punishment lightly. It grieves me deeply to know that men who I believed were good have proven such a disappointment unto me. They will be…" her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat before continuing, "their sentence will be carried out this night. Before sunset."

It gave them a little time to give the men their last rites, their last meals, and prepare the funeral pyres; old boards from ruined houses and buildings, the last measly sticks of kindling from winter, and a few of the boards, the ones that would be on top, were the few intact boards from the old stables. She hoped they would recognize them.

The guards hauled the men off to the dungeons to await the construction of the pyres. The woman who had fainted was offered some assistance, but Zelda stayed back, unable to look them in the eye. More guards approached her, surrounding her, and they walked with her up to her rooms. Link followed her inside to her rooms proper, and he shut the door firmly behind them. Zelda sank onto her bed, clasping her hands together. They were freezing, and there was a slight shake to her shoulders. Link looked at her without trying to stare, and she finally took a deep breath and relaxed.

"It's done," she said quietly.

Link nodded, but said no more.

She looked at him, rubbing her cold hands together. "You think it is the right decision," she sort-of-asked.

"I do, yes. As harsh as it may be," he added, so that she knew it had been hard for either of them to say. He walked over and ran his fingers through her hair, cupping her cheek with his palm. "Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked her now, while they were quiet, to keep her from thinking about the pile of dry wood and kindling being carefully stacked into a cone.

"No," she replied quietly. Link sat down on the bed next to her, carefully maneuvering the sword on his belt, and he pulled her to him again, holding her. Zelda buried her face in his chest and closed her eyes, breathing in the smell of him, taking in the warmth of him through his clothes. It was a small comfort to her.

When she heard the clattering and shouts outside, she stood and went to watch through her window, as the guards threw together the pyres. The men would be tied to a pole all together (to save wood) and the fire lit under their feet, the flames working their way up to them in the center, the anxiety part of the punishment. Their ashes would then be scattered to the winds, with no whole remains for their families to bury in mourning. Zelda shivered and felt sick, and she tore away from the window and to her bathroom, where she dry-heaved but was able to hold herself together.

Link stood in patience, and when she returned to him, he took her hand and led her back to the bed, where she curled up and he laid down with her, touching her hair and looking into her eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked her after a while.

"I will be," she whispered. "I am… just so hurt, that they did this."

He nodded his head slightly. "Yeah. But… you might have to do stuff like this now and again, you know?"

"Yes, I know. I doubt it will get any easier."

"And maybe it won't. But I'll try to help you." He embraced her, kissing her forehead, and Zelda watched out the window, listening to the wood clattering on the cobblestones outside.

\

Zelda woke up sleepily, rubbing her eyes. She'd heard something outside, and she wasn't sure what. Link, it seemed, had been awake for a while and had carefully crept away from her, standing at the window.

"What is it?" she asked, standing up and walking over.

"Zelda, don't—go lie down," Link said quickly, turning to her and putting his hands up to try to stop her. Zelda pushed past him and made her way to the window, looking down. The fire was fully ablaze, and she could barely make out the bodies of the men still on the pole, jerking in the flames. Link tried to pull her from the window, but she shrugged him off.

"I have to," she said simply, digging her nails into the window frame. Link put his hand on her shoulder and stayed close, watching with her as the figures eventually, slowly, went still, hunched over in the flames. There was the strong stink of burning wood and meat, which made Zelda both hungry and sickened, knowing that the smell was of people she'd had executed.

"How could it have come to this?" she whispered sadly. Link rubbed her back with one hand. "Have I made a mistake?"

"No. You did what anyone else would've done," Link answered confidently, though he wouldn't know. "You know your country, and your people, and you did what you thought would be fair and best."

"Yes. I suppose I did." She shook her head, but she remained there until the fire started to die and the sun had set, getting cold in the chill, her hands and feet aching.

Link took her hand and held it tight, and when he felt how cold she was, he pulled her away from the window and wrapped her in his arms. She needed some hot food, some soup or tea, and he decided to take care of it. He pulled back the bedsheets and asked her to climb in.

"I'm not really in the mood," she muttered, misreading him.

"No, you're freezin', and you need to get warm. So you climb under there and I'll get you something to eat, okay?"

Zelda looked towards the window while Link ducked his head out to ask the guards to find someone to bring up tea for the queen. She folded her hands together, trying to find a way to get warm and finding it a struggle. Link had a point; the country needed… well, perhaps not need, but their deaths had a point; to show the country that there was still law and order in Hyrule, that they were not to descend into madness and chaos. Link thanked the servant when she brought them a tray of tea and took it from her, immediately pouring Zelda a cup and giving it to her to hold.

"It's really hot, so, just hold it for now, okay?" he instructed her, before pouring himself one.

"Thank you," she murmured, holding the tea in her lap. It was so hot on her cold fingers that she was sure she would have welts in short time, but when she checked her hands, they were simply reddened and stinging.

Link settled into the bed next to her, and took a sip of his tea, wrinkling his nose. He should have added more sugar, that was for certain. Zelda took a sip as well, when she noticed he had, and said nothing of its sweetness or lack thereof.

"Any better?" he asked her, after several minutes.

Zelda shrugged noncommittally. "A little, I suppose." She leaned her head onto his shoulder, and sighed. "For now."

\

"Sweetheart?"

Verla looked up sharply from her embroidery and looked at Theo, her smile twitching at the corners and her eyes wide. "Yes?"

"Did I startle you?" he asked quietly, lingering in the doorway to the sitting room.

"A little, but it is no matter. Come in." She gestured, and he walked in, sitting down across from her. Verla offered him another smile, then turned her head down to her embroidery, focusing on it so as not to look him in the eye.

They sat in tense silence. At least, it seemed tense on Verla's end. What was he going to say? What was he going to ask? Did he know? Oh help her, he _knew_.

"Wh-what can I do for you?" she finally managed to ask.

"You ah… do you have enough? Enough clothes and things?"

She glanced up at him, clenching her needle and hoop in her hands. "Ah…"

Theo sighed and offered her a good-natured smile. "I was looking over the financial records, and you've certainly spent more than I anticipated."

"Oh," she laughed weakly, "oh, I'm sorry; I… I was so excited to have new dresses, the new fashions, you know."

Theo nodded, studying her face. "Well. Be a little more conservative in the next few months, alright?"

"Do not worry, darling, I should have plenty of clothing for the summer."

"I am glad to hear it." He stood and kissed her upturned face, her cheek hot under his lips.

"I love you," he said to her with a smile.

Verla smiled brightly at him, relaxed, her eyes bright. "I love you."

He kissed her again and left the room. Theo paused once out of the view of the doorway, looking around, and then headed upstairs, to his son's nursery. He peeked in at him, watching Mikal study his rattle, holding it by the wrong end and swinging it with a gurgling laugh, while his nurse tried to take it away and turn it the right way around. But as soon as she took it from his hands, he focused on something else, a little stuffed animal pig, and he flung it across the room with a furrowed brow.

"You silly thing! Don't throw the piggy!" the nurse chided him in a playful tone, getting to her feet and going to retrieve the stuffed animal. In that short time, while her back was turned, Mikal looked around and made eye contact with his father. And, in a movement that chilled Theo, he seemed to give him a solemn-faced nod.

Theo stepped back from the doorway, considering his options. Perhaps Verla herself truly believed Mikal was his. He knew that she and Link had been close; hell, even they'd been somewhat friends once upon a time, and only the yearning for Verla's hand and heart had kept them from really connecting. He walked slowly to his study, thinking. There'd also been a sudden drop off of messages from Hyrule; no longer did they receive warnings and notices about Verla's debt.

Maybe it was all a coincidence. Maybe she was embarrassed and paid it off, and lied about the clothes to cover it up. Maybe Mikal really was his son, and maybe Verla really loved him. It was no matter; they were still married, she was still his wife, and they could make plenty more sons. Mikal would be the first, but he would in no way be the heir to Theo's legacy.

Theo sat down at his study desk and swore under his breath. So Link had still gotten the last laugh in at the end. Cuckolded out of an heir and the first chance at his own bride. He sat in his rooms for a long time, staring at the myriad of papers spread out on his desk, thinking.

\

Zelda spent much of the next few days in her rooms, looking over the accounting books and chewing her nails. Link looked up a list of buildings and things that needed repairs yet, eager to be out in the sun and working with his hands again. The ash from the fire had been swept up and disposed of, whether spread into the fields or buried in a pit so as not to be disturbed, Zelda chose not to know.

She was hesitating outside in the warm air, looking at the gardens that were starting, slowly, to flower, and she looked around in surprise when Odelia approached her, her eyes full of warmth.

"Your Majesty," Odelia said, bowing her head.

"Hello, Odelia. How've you been?" Zelda relaxed; it was good to see a friendly face on someone approaching her, for once.

"I've been well; I'm almost set for the wedding."

Zelda looked alarmed for a moment; she'd forgotten, briefly, about it. "Oh—

Odelia laughed. "Do not worry; it's in a month or two yet."

Zelda was quiet for a moment, trying to calculate for a gift, and Odelia patted her arm to break her out of her thoughts. "What about your wedding? I assume there will be one."

"Oh." Zelda shrugged with a faint smile. "I'm not terribly worried about it."

"Well of course not, but still."

"Ah, will the questions not end? I will wed him properly when the country has the money for the wedding," Zelda answered, shaking her head.

"Have you had any thoughts at all? I apologize, I have had nothing but this ceremony on my mind for weeks and I feel like it is all I can think about!"

"I… really haven't, but if you'd like, we can chat about yours." There was something slightly frantic in Odelia's air; Zelda presumed it was wedding jitters, but it seemed a little more desperate than that.

"Oh, well, I'm very excited. I'm marrying my dear friend Corin. He was actually the gentleman I was telling you about."

"Oh, how wonderful for you!" Zelda interjected. "I do hope he isn't offended that I turned him down?"

"Oh no, not at all, I explained the situation to him. He's a very understanding man when it comes to matters of the heart," Odelia said, nodding and smiling.

"I'm glad for you, truly, and thank you." They stood in silence for a little while, as Zelda looked around at the grounds, assuring herself that all was well, and Odelia seemed to struggle with something inwardly.

"Is your dress in, yet?"

"My… ah." Odelia waved her hand. "Yes, I'm wearing my mother's wedding dress. It's a little short for me, but I'm happy enough." She looked at her hands while thinking. "Did you… ever figure out how to…?"

Zelda glanced at her, unsure where Odelia was going with her thoughts.

"How… that thing I advised you to go to the Gerudo about?"

"Oh—oh! Yes, yes, I worked something out." Zelda blushed brightly, she'd forgotten talking to Odelia about all that. "Th… thank you."

Odelia nodded. "I'm glad as such won't be a problem for me," she said suddenly, and then she blushed and glanced at Zelda.

"Oh—I'm sorry, I didn't realize," Zelda offered, looking at her with empathy. "Is he… are you sure that you can't…"

"Oh, no, it's nothing like that."

Zelda looked at Odelia strangely, and wished to ask her further about what she meant, but she saw a messenger approaching her and turned to see what he needed. It was simply some letters about asking for aid (more letters!), and when Zelda turned back, Odelia had walked away. Zelda thought of calling after her, but the taller woman had seemed rather distracted and out of sorts, so she thought it best to let her alone for now. She collected the letters from the messenger and headed back into the castle to look them over.

\

Odelia made her way past the stables, one hand to her chest, her skin clammy with nerves. She caught sight of Link talking with one of the construction site foremen about the brickwork and the consistency of the mortar, and she walked up, waiting patiently for him to notice her. The foreman caught sight first and nodded in her direction, stepping back slightly, and the hairs on the back of Link's neck raised up until he turned around and saw her.

"Oh, hello," he said in greeting, dipping his head. Odelia smiled sweetly, and the foreman took the plans from Link to look them over a little closer and let them talk.

"I must say, I'm much impressed by all the work you've been doing for the kingdom, Master Link," Odelia said with a smile. "Even after … the tragic events. It's good to see a man who supports his country during both war and peace."

"Well, hey, it's what Zelda would want. Who am I to uh… not help her?" he said with a shrug.

Odelia nodded and, in an embarrassing moment for herself, she looked at him directly and asked, "do you love her?"

"What? Uh, of course I do." Link backed up slightly; as flattering as it had been in the beginning, he was getting sick and tired of women constantly harassing him and hitting on him. He suspected Odelia was to do the same.

"Good. And you'll always protect her."

"Of course, it's what I'm supposed to do." Link narrowed his eyes slightly.

Odelia cleared her throat and looked away from him. "Good. B… because, if you hurt her, I will come after you."

"… are you threatening me?" Link looked at her with wide eyes, stunned.

"No sir, no. I am simply promising you that I will not take disrespect and insult to my queen lightly." She clenched and unclenched her fists.

"Well then, if you're so hot for a fight, I know this girl in Termina…" He tried to joke to lighten the mood, but Odelia looked terribly alarmed at what she had said to him, and she shook her head.

"I apologize, sir. I've been quite out of sorts with my own wedding." Her voice trembled and cracked a little as she spoke. "I do believe that you will be a good… husband to Her Majesty, and I know she is very fond of you."

"Oh." Link relaxed. "Well, I'm very fond of her too. You've got nothing to fear on that count from me."

"Good." Odelia relaxed as well, and smiled at him, a little brighter. "I am glad to know that she will be in good hands."

Link went to pat Odelia's shoulder, but he stopped, as his hand was coated with dust from the building materials, and instead he bowed a little to her. Odelia bowed back and walked away, offering him a little wave. It had been… a strange moment.

\

But he all but forgot that moment in the coming weeks. Construction ramped back up, the soldiers were out in the fields helping to till and plant, the ones who grew up with that work going to task with grim determination, and the ones who hadn't grumbling that they were treated like mere commoners. There were few of these who dared to speak up, and those that did were berated by their fellow soldiers, who had once been "mere commoners".

Slowly, Zelda had been opening up to him more and more about the nature of her 'job' as queen, talking about the tricky problem of balancing the accounts with the financial aid they were forever sending out, and hunting down those who'd still yet to pay. But she was very private with the books; she didn't want him to see Verla's payment and ask questions. Often, their moments together were peaceful. He liked the mornings best, when they would wake up together and spend an hour or so in his or her bed (Zelda liked that his bed was a little smaller, because it put them closer together, while he preferred the massive pillows and the several heavy layers of down comforters on her bed) before Zelda would inexorably pull away, have her morning tea out in her writing and greeting room, and then move to get dressed and begin the day.

Even without nightmares, they never were able to get over the early waking time, but Zelda liked that it gave her more of the day to work in. And after… the incident with the stablehands, she was careful to make sure that when Link worked alongside the soldiers, he was just another soldier, another worker, as opposed to the future king and the queen's lover. It was moderately successful; or maybe it was just the threat of retaliation against anyone who insulted him over it, from both him and the queen.

Zelda had the royal estates buy up any abandoned shops and restaurants that were in useable condition, and planned to convert them to shelters with beds and food, and others as miniature factories that would produce goods using the castle's supplies and sell them on. Things that people would need; clothing basics like shifts and bloomers, pants, blankets. The profits would go to paying the people and into the castle's coffers for recovery. She also considered allowing local tradesmen to rent another space to sell their wares from, if they had lost their original shop in the wars. Zelda was confident that these ideas and changes would go well. Volunteers could run the shelter and would have room and board as payment, if they too were out on their luck. Doctors could rent the space as well, working off their taxes in services to the poor.

But the shelter was soon understaffed and crowded, and there wasn't enough food to prepare adequate meals yet. The other little buildings sat empty; few could afford the rent, or were willing to come to the castle and admit their back taxes owed. It was a good idea, she was sure of it, but the results so far were pointing towards failure.

Zelda put the failure out of her mind and focused on the day's mail. In the collection, she found an invitation to Odelia's wedding. Zelda tossed the letter to Link; he was sitting at the table with her for the moment, sipping tea and eating croissants for breakfast.

"Do you have something to wear?" she asked him quietly.

"Yes, of course," he responded in turn.

"What are you thinking?" Zelda was running her limited wardrobe through her head, of what fit and what didn't, what was left that she hadn't worn out and could be styled differently.

"I dunno… the grey set, I guess?"

Zelda frowned a little, thinking. "Grey? What grey set?"

Link looked away, then shrugged one shoulder. "I wore it to… the blessing."

"The blessing." Zelda frowned, wondering what he meant. It took her several minutes, and dawning and a little tension blossomed in her eyes and jaw.

"Oh. I suppose that's acceptable." She pulled some paper towards herself and began to write. "I shall also have to have a present purchased." She thought about what would be best for Odelia; perhaps some nice silver or china. She would have to find out what the family had forgone during the long lean months. Zelda glanced out the window at the bright day, the puffy clouds and deep blue of the sky.

"How can the days be so beautiful?" she muttered to herself. "People are still sick and suffering."

Link sighed. "Don't go down this trail of thought again, please. You're doing all you can."

"I am trying," she murmured.

"I know."

Zelda blinked rapidly, then, as if waking back up from her thoughts, she turned and smiled at Link. "My apologies," she said. "Why don't you take Epona out for the day? I'm certain she's bored to tears, and I know how you hate being cooped up."

Link raised his eyebrows and shrugged slightly. "If that is what you wish. But please, don't do too much work without me. I want to learn."

Zelda nodded and put her hand over his. They kissed briefly over the table, and then Link rose and left the room.

Halfway to the stables, he had a different idea. He didn't know how much his accounts held, but he felt… a little more comfortable in throwing around his new status. So he wandered to the few jewelry sellers who hadn't gone bankrupt, examining their limited stock and finding little of interest. The merchants hovered over him like birds, to the point that it made him feel claustrophobic and he had to politely ask them to stop.

"Something for Her Majesty?" asked the first jeweler, his thin fingers interlocked together.

"Yes, a… a ring. But I don't have much of a budget."

"Sir, your money is of no use here. The mere privilege of assisting the future king is payment enough." The jeweler bowed his head again and again.

"Are you doing alright?" Link asked, a little surprised. "After… the attack and all?"

"Well." The jeweler turned pale and avoided Link's gaze. "I'm alive, sir. That's the greatest reward."

"Yeah, but what good is life if there's no food in your belly and no roof over your head?"

"… I have these things, sir." The jeweler's voice was very small. The things he'd done to survive. He hoped they forgave him.

"Then…" Link shook his head. Clearly the poor man was bothered by his negative tone. "Well. What do you have for stock? I want something that… simple, but elegant. Matching Zelda's beauty, but not surpassing it or being gaudy, you know?"

"Of course, sir."

They spent several minutes looking over the limited stock; what hadn't been stolen or ruined. But it was all too… nothing sang to him. Nothing struck him as being so distinctly _her_.

"I apologize. Perhaps later, I will be able to return," Link said finally, when they'd exhausted all possibilities.

"Of course, sir. Thank you for taking the time." The jeweler watched Link regretfully leave with a little shudder, and he hung his head in despair. He could feel the end of his shop's lifespan running out.

\

Link had similar luck, or rather lack thereof, with the two or three other jewelers that had barely managed to stay open. The jewelry was tacky, or too simple, or… _something_ that didn't quite fit.

"Please sir," said the tired, thin woman at the last shop as he headed to the exit, "please come again, when we have better stock, I apologize we have been so lacking."

"It's fine. Really." He paused, looking around the shop. "Tell me; do you guys make your stuff here in the shop?"

"Why yes sir, we do. Would you like to commission something?" The woman managed to smile, a flitting and weak thing.

"Yeah… um… do you have an artist? I'm bad at drawing."

"Of course. I am the artist, sir." The woman turned and retrieved a thin stack of paper and a pencil barely longer than her index finger. "You want an engagement ring for Her Majesty."

"Yes. Something… something that looks like her. You know what I mean?"

The jeweler nodded, a little grin on her lips. It felt good to have a client again, even if he was so vague and unsure. She sketched in silence while Link sat respectfully, unwilling to interrupt her thinking.

"What metal?" she asked suddenly.

Link considered, looking up to the ceiling. "Gold, probably?"

"Alright." She took a small, grayish eraser and rubbed it onto the paper, erasing some of the marks she'd made. As she worked, she talked a little to fill the space.

"Gold is a softer metal, so soft that you can dent it quite easily. So it's good to keep this in mind while selecting a design. Some jewelers are able to mix the gold with another, stronger metal, so that it has more strength to it and can keep shape. We don't like to do that here, preferring purity, and this also makes it easier to resize a gold band."

"Ah." Link drummed his fingers on his legs.

"What about stones?" she asked him, and he stared at her, confused. "Gems, things like that. Diamantes? Rubies?"

"Well, what do you think is best? I don't really… know what she likes."

"As the queen, she should have large, high quality gems in the ring, to reflect her status," the jeweler said while focusing on her drawing. "However, due to… the country's current situation economically, it might not be a good idea to have a bunch of massive stones on her hand…" She paused and rubbed her chin, thinking. "A few small stones may look better, while still giving the illusion of one large rock."

"You're the expert," Link answered with a helpless shrug.

An hour or so later, they had agreed on a design, mostly.

"What about cost?" Link asked immediately.

"You're the future king, sir. No payment is necessary until it is complete."

"Are you sure?"

The artist nodded her head. "Quite sure. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No, not at this time."

Link stood and thanked her, shaking her hand a bit awkwardly before leaving and heading back to the castle. He took his time, walking slowly and looking around at the repairs that were coming together. He always thought of Hyrule as his country, but now the two words together had a different ring to them. It was his country to rule, soon. He approached the castle and paused before heading inside, walking around it in a circle and putting one hand on the rough brick.

Link headed back around and through the main doors to the castle, the guards politely nodding their heads, and he looked around at the tapestries and the paintings and the art and statues of Hyrule's history, the images of past rulers and knew that, very soon, his image would join them. He was awestruck with this knowledge, and a little nervous; would he do as well as they had done? Hyrule had not faced a crisis of this magnitude in ages, and he was a nobody, come up from the countryside and drug into a position of power by Zelda's deep, possessive love for him. The depth of it alarmed him; he couldn't help himself. He knew how a deep river could run shallow.

He paused; Zelda was standing a little ways down yet. The last rays of the sun were being cast through the windows and catching in her hair, turning it into gold and copper, her hands carefully folded before her as she spoke to one of the kitchen hands about the meal for the evening. She dismissed the girl and turned her head back, seeing Link out of the corner of her eye and turning to him, smiling with warmth.

Link stumbled into a run towards her. Zelda smiled more and blushed, looking away, then back again when he was not far from her.

"What?" she asked him, genuinely surprised. Link took one small breath and took her face in his hands, kissing her deeply. There were a few surprised giggles and whispers, not that he was paying attention, and when he did pull away Zelda was staring at him in amazement.

"Whatever on earth was that for?" she asked now.

"I love you," he answered her, his face fierce with the seriousness of his words, "and I'm glad to let everyone know such."

"Well, I'm very glad to know this feeling in you," she admitted, still blushing from the force of his kiss.

"When shall we get married?" he asked.

"What is all this? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine."

"Well. As I told you, I want to wait until we have a little more money in the vault."

"How long will it take?"

"I don't know… darling, what is it? What's got you like this?" Zelda put her hands to his face.

"I'm just feeling glad, is all. Glad to be with you."

"Well… it's quite sudden. I suppose I was a little alarmed."

"Sorry." He pulled her close, his arms around her waist.

Zelda cleared her throat, her face bright. "Then. I shall see, but I'd like to wait a while longer, if that is alright with you… on the matter of a wedding."

"Yeah, sure. Perfectly alright."

"If you'd like…" Oh, but, he might look closely at the ledgers. Too closely. "ah… we can go upstairs." She barely whispered the words, embarrassed to be saying them out in the middle of all her subjects and guards.

"Sure, sure." He took her hand and pulled her along gently, and together they headed up the steps.

When the guards were certain they would be out of earshot, they whistled and burst into laughter, clapping each other on the back. Tilly looked around then smiled faintly to herself. The queen would want some tea in a little while, from her private tin.

\


	18. Chapter 18

It grew hot. Reports were coming in from around the country; much of the mass burnings had actually done a wonder for the soil, clearing old stalks and waste and mingling it back into the ground, enriching it. Wheat grew like mad, and the heat brought on heavy rains, keeping it from drying out too soon. Zelda fretted that the rain would be too much, and the wheat would go to mush and the soil would wash away under its burden, but Link reassured her that things would go well, and they would find a way.

The day of Odelia's wedding, the morning started off sticky and warm. Zelda took a cool bath before being dressed in a light, breezy summer gown, the edges worked with satin and pearl embroidery with birds and flowers and filigree patterns, the whole ensemble in a soft lavender. Link had pulled on his grey outfit and immediately found it stifling in the heavy satin. He flipped through the meager amount of clothes and found it lacking and cursed under his breath; why hadn't he bothered to get something made?

Tilly appeared at his side, and bowed her head slightly. "Would you like some suggestions, sir?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah, I think I'll die if I have to wear this thing for too long."

"Of course, sir." Tilly fumbled through the closet and retrieved the formal version of his tunic, shaking it out. "What about this, sir?"

"It's kinda warm…" he muttered.

"True…" She held it up to him then put it away again, thinking. "I will be back shortly."

He sat around in his rooms, and Tilly eventually returned with an old-fashioned vest, heavy with beadwork and embroidery. "I know it might not be the lightest thing in the world, but I'm confident you can get away with wearing this without a jacket and look acceptable, sir."

Link took the vest from her and shook it out, looking at it. "Where's this from?"

"I suppose it had been His Majesty's. There's some chests of his things in one of the storage rooms."

"It's in pretty good condition for that."

"Isn't it though?"

"You think that Zelda won't mind? If it was…"

"I don't think so, sir."

He shrugged off the heavy coat and pulled on the vest. It was heavy, and too big for him. Tilly clucked her tongue, but shrugged. "It'll do, I think."

Link glanced at himself in the mirror; it looked alright, true. If he let the shirt billow out a little more, it didn't look so bad. He left it unbuttoned, then tried just one button, and finally decided that if need be, Zelda would tell him how it looked best.

They had a fast breakfast together, where Zelda told him that it looked good with two buttons done, and after toying with his hair a little, they climbed into the royal carriage together for the short jaunt to Odelia's house for the ceremony.

"How long is this supposed to be?" he asked quietly.

"I've no idea." Zelda watched the outdoors for a while, the bright green grass of the fields and the swaying stalks of crop growing eagerly. At some point, she reached over and took Link's hand, their fingers linking together.

"My queen," he murmured, putting his nose to her hair.

She laughed. She felt light, and good. No longer did she feel plagued by her nightmares, a lack of sleep, the gloom and the dread. She still, now and again, had the feeling of doom, that some other great terror was upon them. But nothing came to her, no matter how hard she thought. Hyrule was returning to its glory. Again, the people were well-fed, and slowly their debts were being repaid. Everything was coming together, in her eyes.

Link studied her hands as he held it, wondering if the ring would be too much after all, if it would dwarf her thin fingers. Well; there was only one way to find out, wasn't there.

"What's on your mind?" Zelda asked him.

"Nothin," he replied casually.

"Mm." She half-settled into his lap, despite the swelter that crept into the carriage. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. Unwanted, unbidden, Zelda briefly wondered if he'd ever held the other woman like this, if he'd ever been so tender with her like this, or if their love had been… only focused on one thing.

But who could be bothered to wonder about such a thing? Verla was of no consequence now. She could hold no sway over Link.

Odelia's family lived in the same home for over two hundred years. The house was a massive, sprawling brick mansion, with carefully tended ivy climbing up the walls and amazing gardens reaching nearly to the edge of the estate. At least, last time Zelda saw it, it was so.

As for now, most of the famous gardens were gone. Burned down to soil, or trampled to death, or ripped up by beastly hooves. Some glass windows in the house itself had yet to be replaced, their broken frames knocked out of place to begin repairs.

Link stared in amazement at Odelia's home; it was smaller than the castle, but it held its own stately presence.

"It's huge," he exclaimed in surprise.

Zelda shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose."

They pulled up to the main doors, stuck behind several other carriages with guests unloading. However, at the sight of the royal crest, several guards shouted and rushed over to the carriage to greet Her Majesty as Zelda's coachmen scrambled to open the door and lower the stairs for their exit.

Zelda stepped out into the heat, which somehow was worse outside of the carriage (perhaps due to the lack of shade) and she immediately opened her parasol with a sigh. "Too hot," she complained.

"Not much we can do," Link answered her. The guards bowed low in deference to her, making way for Zelda to walk to the front doors of the estate.

"I believe this house was a long-off gift from some… great-great-grandfather of mine to Odelia's great-great-grandfather. A wedding gift. This used to be one of the royal winter estates," Zelda said conversationally as Link looked around, the sun making him sweat. It would ruin his appearance before the wedding, he was sure of it. It wouldn't bother him except for that he knew it mattered to Zelda. She moved her parasol slightly to cover him as well as they walked in, guards bowing before them.

At the door, they were announced, and the entire procession of guests stood and bowed their heads. The entire main hall of Odelia's home had been set up with chairs and a wedding altar, as well as two special chairs, ornately carved, set aside special for them. Zelda took her seat first, and as Link joined her, the rest of the guests settled into place. Zelda looked around at them, as their chairs were set to one side, so that she could see both the guests and the altar. She looked without moving her head, folding her parasol. There weren't many guests. Those that were there, were dressed in the same fashions they'd been wearing last summer. Apparently the fashion world was still locked in stasis. Or they'd gotten word the queen would be here and were desperate to not look as if they'd been able to purchase new finery.

After some time, processional music began. The groom strode in with his groomsmen, and they lined up on the side opposite the chairs Zelda and Link sat in. It took Zelda a minute to realize that they had been placed on the bride's side as her guests. She thought she recognized the groom, but not very well; she'd only seen him once or twice at a ball, and they'd never danced. He was tall, much like Odelia, with jet black hair and deep blue eyes, and a strong jaw. He and the groomsmen were well-dressed, with flowers tastefully tucked to their lapels and their hair swept back and lightly oiled.

The processional music changed after a few minutes, and the bridesmaids sauntered in, one after the other, girls that Zelda didn't recognize. Related to Odelia, maybe? Friends of hers?

They lined up opposite the groomsmen. One of the closest maids glanced back at Zelda and Link, and she whispered and shook her friend's shoulder. The next girl glanced back and saw them as well, and giggled and blushed, looking away.

"Do you know them?" Link asked, turning to Zelda.

"No, but… I'm sure they know us," she whispered back.

Finally, Odelia stepped into the hallway. She walked alone, her head held high, a long white veil covering her face. The dress she wore was old-fashioned, but well-fit. Zelda's heart ached; if only she'd been able to give her a greater gift.

The ceremony dragged a little. Both bride and groom looked nervous; Odelia was fidgeting all the while, constantly shifting her grip on the bouquet. The groom would fold his hands before him, then behind him. The old ladies, who Zelda assumed were Odelia's relatives, talked quietly, assuming that they were eager to be done with the ceremony and be ready to spend private time as a couple.

Finally, the ring was placed. The groom lifted Odelia's veil and offered her a smile of good cheer, and they kissed each other very chastely. Zelda stood, as did Link (he scrambled a bit) and the rest of the audience followed to applaud them, as the parishioner was announcing them as man and wife. Odelia held her bouquet in one hand, and gripped her husband's hand with the other. Link glanced at her left hand as something glimmered there; it was a brilliant little ring, with a large stone. He thought again about the ring being made for Zelda (there was a hard time to find the gems and metals, but he told them 'no rush') and hoped it would not be found lacking against such a large gem. The groom must be very well off.

The groom and bride walked out together, their hands clasped. The main celebration would be in the back of the house, out in the part of the gardens that were still mostly intact, or at least coming back to bloom well. Zelda tugged Link's hand and pulled him along, and they walked out after the groomsmen and bridesmaids, in the place of honor.

Odelia greeted Zelda and Link when they came around to the back, smiling brightly at her queen and hugging them both.

"A happy occasion for the country," Zelda said cheerfully, being handed a glass of chilled (thank the Goddesses) lemonade.

"I'm just a Marquess—a duchess of Roldin, now. I doubt it's that big of news." She shook her head slightly.

"Well I'm happy for you, and I'm the country," Zelda joked, and they laughed.

"Sorry, I don't know your name," Link admitted to the groom.

"I am Duke Corin O'Mirt." His voice was deep and soothing. He shook Link's hand and smiled at him.

"Nice to meet ya. I'm—

"I know who you are. Forgive the interruption; I didn't want you to waste the breath."

"Ah, I see I'm famous even in Roldin, yeah?"

"Of course, sir. You're engaged to Her Majesty?"

"I am indeed."

"How amazing. I'm sure you'll make her far happier than I could."

"Ah, I dunno. Zelda makes up her own mind about what makes her happy."

They both laughed a little.

"Are you going to throw the bouquet?" Zelda asked Odelia.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe later." She smiled as Zelda took another glass. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, it's quite sweet." Zelda felt giddy; was she… getting drunk? She glanced strangely at Odelia. "What is this?"

"It's good, yes? It's a lemon liqueur from Roldin. You mix it with water or a dry champagne."

"Oh, it's a liqueur?" Zelda went to take another sip, and stopped herself.

"Yes. Corin brought it over."

"I forgot to ask you, the bridesmaids—I didn't know any of them."

"Oh, a lot of them are Corin's sisters and cousins. I felt you had enough on your plate, I hope you aren't troubled I didn't ask you."

"Oh no, not at all. I'm quite honored to have been invited."

"As if I'd snub Your Majesty!" Odelia put her hand on Zelda's and squeezed it.

"I know you wouldn't."

"So." Corin had two glasses of whisky brought over, offering one to each of them.

"Puh. Is good stuff," Link said, raising his eyebrows. "How'd you come by all that money, yeah?"

Corin shrugged. "Roldin is a stable country." He realized his words and paled, looking at him in surprise. "Oh, sir, I didn't…"

"Hey, it's fine. I'm not king yet. And Hyrule's gonna be okay." He nodded to comfort Corin, and Corin smiled, his eyes lighting up.

"But you are engaged to the queen? I'm quite glad, it's a good match. The best match what could be, really."

"How do you figure?"

"I mean, none of you could... if you didn't marry each other. Any other partners you could have… wouldn't be able to live up to what the two of you have done. To your accomplishments."

"Ah…" Link shook his head, not sure what to say. They drank more whisky.

\

Things went predictably enough. There was food, a surprising amount of food (all hauled in from Roldin, Zelda suspected), and drink, and dancing. Zelda had more than she should have of the lemonade, and she slouched at Link's side, her hand warm on his thigh.

"H… how…" Corin was also feeling quite warm and pleasant, and he talked to Link a surprising deal. Link found him a bit strange, but friendly enough. Odelia pulled Zelda away, laughing and telling her that they were going to throw the bouquet after all.

"What's it like?" Corin managed to mumble.

"What's what like?"

"Uh… the uh… being with a… a lady."

Link burst into laughter. "You mean to tell me you're virgin! I know it's a custom for the bride, but…"

"No, no, I'm not, I've just… never with a girl before, you know?"

"… wait." Link frowned, his hands planted on the table.

Odelia threw the bouquet. Zelda stood near the edge of the crowd of screaming women, finding no desire to catch it. Some young girl had snapped it up, laughing delightedly.

"I dunno, I mean… I'll figure it out." Corin shook his head.

"No, what the hell did you mean?"

"Ah, let it go."

"I will if you tell me where you got that big friggin' ring."

"What ring?"

"The one on uh… Her Ladyship or whatever."

"Oh, Odelia's? It's hers. She claims it's a family heirloom or somethin'. It's huge, made with Terminian gold. You can tell because it's sorta reddish from all the iron in the ground."

"Oh yeah? Do you know a lot about jewelry?" Link focused back in on Corin, letting the previous train of thought go for the moment.

"A little bit, yes."

"I'm trying to have a ring made for Zelda, for our engagement…"

Odelia walked with Zelda to a refreshments table. Zelda immediately chose more of the lemonade, while Odelia went for plain wine.

"So—" Zelda glanced at Odelia's hand. "That's the ring?"

Odelia looked at it. "Ah. Yes. I kept it, as you said."

"Mm." Zelda's mood turned sober. "Do you think… I was right to do such a thing? Was it wrong?"

Odelia glanced around, and pulled Zelda away from the crowds, into a quiet corner. "I don't think it was, really. Not after all this mess." She put one hand on Zelda's arm. "Are you doing alright?"

"The country's doing better. Better than it's been, I'm thankful for that much. I still worry though."

Odelia touched at Zelda's hairline, smiling. "You should be careful, Your Majesty. Or you'll get grey hairs already."

Zelda clicked her tongue. "It's a miracle I don't, yet, with the state of things."

"I'm sure that everything will turn out fine. Hyrule can survive."

"It'd be nice to have that belief." Zelda shook her head.

"Well. I believe in you," Odelia assured her. Her face grew serious for a moment, then she leaned forward and kissed Zelda. Zelda stumbled back and stared at Odelia. Odelia blushed and looked away in shame. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

"It's… it's alright. I didn't realize that… I apologize." It seemed obvious now, that Zelda thought about it. She thought about it a little longer. "What about Corin? Your husband?"

"Oh." She shook her head. "He's always joked I'm the only woman he could bear to marry."

"How's that?"

"Well." Odelia shook her head a little. "He's like me, you know."

"He's… oh. So he doesn't…"

"Yes. This is purely a marriage for both our benefits. He's willing to help support my estate, and I'm willing to help get his mother off his back to remarry."

"You did say he was widowed, right?" Zelda thought she remembered such.

"Yes." Odelia shifted uncomfortably. "She died very suddenly. She was very sick for a while. Corin married her to help take care of her."

"He's a very kind person," Zelda said, nodding. She glanced over to where he and Link were chatting amicably.

"That is why I'd thought, initially, to marry the two of you. He would've been willing to help with some of Hyrule's greater expenses, and he… would have overlooked any indiscretions with Master Link."

"Oh, it wouldn't have been right for the country," Zelda answered, shaking her head. "Any child we would have had would be a bastard."

"Well of course, but only if Corin disavowed the child as his." Odelia looked around, then back to the queen. "Never mind, we will only talk in circles this way. I should go speak to my other guests."

"Ah… congratulations," Zelda added, feeling it was a silly thing to say, since she now knew the motivations behind their marriage.

Odelia laughed and shrugged one shoulder, before turning away and heading to her other guests. Zelda made her way back to the table where Link was still talking with Corin, gesturing carelessly with his glass and oblivious to the drops of alcohol flying around.

"Ah! Your Majesty." Corin stood to greet her, and Link smiled up at her and took her hand, pulling her into the chair next to him.

"Hello darlin'," he said, leaning over and kissing her cheek. "Now, Odelia's pretty and all," he went back into his train of thought, "but, and I hope I'm not bein' offensive because… because, you, like, just married her and all. But Zelda's the girl for me. I knew it when I saw her the first time."

This was news to Zelda. Corin was smiling politely.

"What do you mean, the first time?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "When you… when we defeated Ganondorf, or…"

"No, no, before that. Like, when I first got to the castle to begin training."

"That long ago?"

"Yeah." Link took another drink, then turned to look at her. "Even if I said I loved Verla, she just can't compare. I was… struck by how beautiful you were."

This was all getting rather embarrassing and intimate for Corin, so he stood to go mingle with the guests.

"Like, I think it was a tapestry or something?" He furrowed his brow. "I dunno. And I was like, 'wow, she's like, really pretty'. And I figured like, it was just a representation of the Goddesses or… or that you know, artistic license so the painter wouldn't get his head cut off or something."

Zelda laughed as he continued.

"But then like… I think it was at the start of training or somewhere in the middle where Impa was yelling at us, we were out in an open space practicing swords, and I took a break for a minute and looked at the castle. And you were sitting near the window brushing your hair or something, and I was like, 'wow'. I couldn't even…"

Zelda couldn't remember the moment (she'd spent a lot of time near the windows for a breeze that summer), but she smiled.

"And I was kind of like, 'man, maybe I don't want to go back to the ranch'."

"You were thinking of heading back?"

"Well, I didn't know if a soldier's life was for me at the time. I went along with it because it was better than sitting around and watching Verla flirt all the time."

"Mm." Zelda wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. "Should we go home?"

"Hm. You don't want to stay?"

"No." She smiled. "I'd rather be at home with you."

Link grinned and gave Zelda a little squeeze. "Alright."

They rounded up the coachmen and the horses, and after Zelda waved goodbye to Odelia on their way to the roundabout out front. She climbed in up the steps, with Link's help, and he followed her in, shutting the door tight. They waited until the carriage had started on its way, and Link swept Zelda into his lap, kissing her chin.

"Say," he said, as Zelda settled her arms around his neck. "What kind of jewelry do you like?"

"Oh. Hmm. I like… I do like gold. But not Terminian gold. I don't like that red."

"Yeah? … Corin mentioned that's where Odelia's ring was from."

"Oh, did he?" Zelda tensed, but she toyed with his hair to keep calm.

"I'm surprised, I'da thought she'd've gotten something made in Roldin."

"Yes, I suppose."

"Is her family from Termina?"

"I'm not sure…"

Link shrugged and rested his cheek against Zelda's chest. "So what else? Gold."

She kissed his forehead, sighing. "Rubies are nice."

"Mm."

"I… what are you asking for? Why do you want to know? If it's about engagement rings, I've told you, I can settle it."

"Let me spoil you."

"I've already been spoiled enough."

"Shh." He turned his head and left sloppy kisses on her collar, hesitating before reaching up her skirt.

Zelda laughed. "Come on, wait until we are home."

"Why?" he asked, kissing up to her chin. "Let's not wait."

She gasped as he pulled her hips forward; when had he undone his trousers?

"We have to be quiet," she whispered, her eyes bright.

"Of course we do," he assured her. "We will be, don't worry."

And they more or less were, on the way home.

\

Zelda rubbed her eyes and looked around the room when she woke. Her head ached, but it wasn't so bad, in her opinion. After all, Link was a warm comfort at her back. She couldn't remember actually getting to the castle and heading upstairs. She assumed Link had helped her most of the way, and had further helped to… undress her for bed. What little bits and pieces she could recall—how complete his worship of her was! How unending! She didn't have to say a word.

Oh. But…

She dressed in a nightgown and robe, and called for Tilly. It didn't take long; Tilly had already been halfway up the stairs with the morning tea.

"Thank you," she said with a smile, sipping the tea. But it tasted strange and different. Zelda barely had to look at her questioningly.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Your private tin was empty. It will be some time before there will be more, so I gave you what was available."

"Oh." Zelda felt a cold chill of worry creep up her back. "Well, I would have liked more warning, but that is alright for now."

"I apologize. I thought there was plenty, yesterday."

Tilly bowed her head and Zelda watched the girl go. What to do now, she wondered to herself. She drummed her nails nervously as she thought about it. She thought of the gardens and pulled on some slippers.

\

Link stirred, then fell back to his deep dreams, trying to sleep away the headache that plagued him. His dreams were about Zelda, as they often were. She was walking through a field of tall grass, hip height, wearing a dress that was more immaterial than material, white and sleeveless, her hair straight down her back. He was following her through the field, barely aware that the hot breezes had turned cold, that the sky was getting overcast, until Zelda stopped. Why was she stopping? She never stopped. Usually he just caught up to her and then they would roll over together in the grass. But she stopped cold, her back still to him.

"What is it?" he called to her.

"Can't you feel it?" she asked him.

Link looked around, and then he noticed the dark.

"Damn it all," he muttered, and reached for his sword (what sword silly boy what sword you know you're barely wearing your trousers in this kind of dream) and turned round and round. When he'd made a complete circle, he noticed Zelda had collapsed in the grass, and he went to her, stumbling over rocks. She lay on her stomach, and Link rolled her over. "Zelda!" he shouted.

Her eyes were half-open and stared at nothing. Her lower belly had been stabbed or cut, and blood soaked the dress, blood and bits of darker, clotted matter. Link's hands trembled as he touched her face and arms. A darker shadow than the others fell over him, but he didn't glance up.

"This is your fate, you know," growled the deep, angry voice. "This is how this will come to pass."

"You're dead," Link answered, cursing himself for replying at all. The response was a low chuckle of mirth.

"I'm not dead, boy. I'm in another place. A place beyond time, beyond stars, beyond your knowing."

"And that place is death. Is hell. You know only what you want. You tell us these matters just to torture us, but we care nothing for you. You can't affect anything here now." Link massaged Zelda's cold arms.

"Look at me, boy."

Link gently set Zelda down, folding her arms atop her chest and straightening. Then, slowly, he lifted his head and stared at Ganondorf.

Ganondorf was sneering at him, his teeth bared, stuck all over with arrows and sword gashes.

"Hyrule will fall under the foolish choices of you and your queen."

"Hyrule would have fallen if you had held onto her. You're dead. You're not here any more."

Ganondorf roared, and the very wind seemed to erupt from his presence, buffeting Link all around. He braced himself, and barely staggered.

"You don't think you fear me, boy?"

"I never feared you. I am tired of you. You and your foolishness, and your pompous attitude. Get out of our heads."

Ganondorf lowered his head until his nose was almost touching Link's, the stink of his breath washing over Link's face. He growled low, but Link could see the desperation in that face. Ganondorf was the one fearful now.

Link woke up. He lay there for a minute, staring at the ceiling, feeling a cold sweat at the back of his neck and at his underarms. That'd actually been… one of the better nightmares. Ganondorf's nightmare hold on him was getting weaker, it seemed. A cold comfort; it'd been almost a year and now they were weakening? He sat up, decided that was a bad idea, and laid back down again.

Where did Zelda go? He grumbled; if he moved, he got waves of nausea. Slowly, he managed to sit up and turn towards the door, spying the tea set. Yes, yes. That was what he wanted. Something to drink. He sat up slowly, and eventually, he was able to get himself out of bed and over to the little greeting table, helping himself to a cup. It was hot and he scalded his tongue at first, but soon he found it was worth it; it relieved his thirst and the taste was pleasant and soothing. Tilly was invaluable, of that he was sure.

He drank three cups, and noted to himself that a wash up was certainly in order, to wash off the chill of that nightmare.

/

By the time Zelda returned from the gardens, having found at least two small plants and eaten three or so leaves right there in the yard, Link had settled into her tub, his eyes closed and his body relaxed.

"Oh, you're up?" she asked him softly, with a smile.

"Yes," he replied, his eyes still shut.

"I'd gone into the garden for air," she offered, though he didn't ask.

"Mm." He opened one eye and looked at her, then smiled. "Are you doing alright?"

"Yes, quite. You?"

He thought briefly about his nightmare. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Good, I'm glad." She rested her arms on the edge of the tub, looking at him. What all did she have to do today? With any hope, the accounts were finally settled. She would have to calculate their debt and work out repayment cycles, atop of checking any further reports of towns still in need, of people still in need. She wondered about the farm Link had worked on; was the crop doing well there? So many problems that she had set aside or forgotten about while she was being so wrapped up in this whirlwind love. She reached out and touched Link's face. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled a bit, but nothing else.

"A lot to worry about, love?" he asked her quietly.

"It seems so." She sighed and kissed his forehead. "I should get started."

"I'll help you, if you give me an hour."

"… alright." Zelda smiled, reminding herself that this was important for the both of them. She kissed him and then straightened, to pick her clothes for the day and get on with business. She'd delayed too much in spending so many days and hours with him.

After dressing, she went down to the accounting rooms and settled in next to the head accountant, for a quick update before actually settling in. "How are matters? How are we doing?" she asked first.

"Oh, Your Majesty. We are doing quite well, actually. Reports coming in about crops are that all is well on that count. The wheat is coming in good. Some farms have branched out to others; vegetables and things, to eat and to sell."

"Have any more donations come in?"

"Well, His Lordship, the Duke O'Mirt made a sizeable donation."

Zelda sighed. "I would have hoped not. He and Odelia have given too much. Put it into a royal fund for t… for their children. A dowry or somesuch."

"Very well."

Zelda thought it over, considering. "Actually… perhaps a building."

"Your Majesty?"

"Perhaps a new building, in their name. A school. Yes. Or a hospital."

"I think a hospital would be a fine idea, Your Majesty."

"Yes, as do I. A teaching hospital, perhaps."

"A teaching hospital?"

"Yes, so that we can learn more. And save more people in times of crisis."

"It… it has ideas to it. Do you want this built right away?" The accountant looked at her; he'd gotten a little more bold in questioning her, because he found it helped her to stop and think.

"No…" she said quietly after a minute. "No. Definitely not. We should save the money for now, I suppose."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

Zelda sat in consideration a moment longer. "C… could you show me Master Link's accounts?"

"Yes, of course." The accountant flipped to it. "As of now, he has approximately 3300 rupees, before the tax."

"Hm. Could you… forego the tax on him?"

"Are you sure, Your Majesty?"

"Just this one time. Pardon him from the tax."

"Of course." The accountant made a note. "Anything else?"

"No… I suppose not." She stood. "Thank you for your time."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Zelda left the accounting room and considered her next move. She chose to wander out to the gardens again, at a loss of what to do.

"Is everything alright, Your Majesty?"

She turned and glanced at the girl who spoke; it was Gemma, from the kitchens. She kept her eyes low.

"I am quite fine, thank you," Zelda answered coolly.

"I beg your pardon for the concern, it's just I saw you out here earlier looking rather frantic."

"I'm quite alright," Zelda repeated, turning to go back in.

"I saw you eat those leaves."

At this, Zelda paused. "And?"

Gemma looked down at her hands. "Seems… rather odd, I guess. An unmarried queen runnin' out and chewin' on a plant like that."

"And what do you mean?" Zelda turned to face her, folding her arms. "A plant like that?"

"Well, it's just that…" Gemma was never very good at being sly, but she was still feeling quite sore at having been dumped to the lowest of household stations, "that queens aren't the only ones who keep special flowers around. They don't smell nice, they bloom okay. Some countries they're common as weeds. Dry countries, usually."

Zelda narrowed her eyes, thinking over her words. "Well, I thank you for the horticulture lesson, but it's quite unnecessary."

"I think we both know what that plant is for." Gemma finally dared to lift her head and look Zelda in the eye. Zelda kept her stern posture, but her mouth had gone dry. "I guess it's a good thing you have so many, though. Cus of the undetermined wedding day and all." Gemma dropped her head again, picking at her nails. "Wouldn't want any wild little bastards running around."

"I see you are growing bold again, forgetting your place," Zelda answered her, folding her arms tighter. "Trying to come after me in such a way, just like your father and brother. And how do they fare now? Do they earn any pay? Or do they sit at home dreaming of schemes to use against the crown? Treasonous schemes? Because that is what such are, you know." Zelda shrugged one shoulder. "If you're at all unhappy, you're more than welcome to leave. I can replace you with a thought. It is only by my leniency that you work here at all and do not rest in an unmarked grave." It was so difficult for her to keep calm when Gemma was all but spitting in her face. "Do not speak to me about this again, if you wish to keep your life."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Gemma mumbled, turning and slinking back into the kitchens. Zelda held still out in the cool air, thinking, and then she went to check upon the gardens, and to speak briefly to the guards there.

"Your Majesty," the first said, when she approached him, snapping to attention.

"Who is on shift out here tonight?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Ah, I believe that's Carsin, Your Majesty."

"Good. Make sure to emphasize that he takes special care to be awake, and stay on shift all the night."

"Uh, of course, Your Majesty." The guard snapped to attention again, and Zelda moved off, heading back inside. She shouldn't have given the girl another chance, of that she knew now, but she'd honestly believed that the girl hadn't meant to cause all that trouble, that it was just her father and brother. She wondered if Gemma hadn't possibly been goaded into the threat by them. The girl hadn't always been so vicious.

Once she was back in the castle, Zelda decided that she would grant herself a break, and settle in for a nice breakfast. Perhaps later, she and Link could take the horses out for a run. It'd been a while since they'd last done such. She headed up the stairs and back into her rooms.

"Link, did you want to ride the horses today?" When she didn't receive an answer immediately, she looked around, glancing into the bathroom, but the tub was empty.

"Link?" He wasn't in the bed. She felt a flutter of panic and stifled it. Surely, he'd gone to his room to change. Yes! That was it entirely. She went through the secret passage and opened the door, looking around. She could hear talking, and she followed it.

"…it doesn't fit, you can bring it in for a sizing, but… we do have Her Majesty's sizes. She has purchased from us before."

"Okay."

Zelda opened the door leading to the greeting room barely a crack, listening a little closer. She thought she heard a woman speaking, and the hair on her arms stood up.

"You said you liked the rubies, yes?"

"Well, I think she'd like 'em."

"Good heavens sir, you're the one buying the thing."

"Yeah, but she's the one stuck wearing it." Link shrugged.

"An excellent point." The jeweler packed up her things. "Are you happy then, sir?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think it'll do for Her Majesty."

"I'm glad you think so. I'm sure she will be quite pleased. And if not, you can always bring it to us." The girl smiled. "Thank you again."

"Of course." Link followed her to the door and opened it. Zelda took the opportunity to sneak away and back to her rooms, wincing when the secret door tunnel squeaked a little too much. It _would_ have to squeak now, wouldn't it! She took long steps through the secret tunnel and back to her room, grabbing a book and settling on the bed with it, trying to calm her pounding heart. Not long after she'd settled in, the secret door in _her_ room opened, and Link was slowly walking through, looking at her.

"Oh, hello." She smiled at him. "I was wondering where you were."

He smiled slightly at her, and shook his head a little. "I was just in my room…"

"To change?"

"Yeah… well," he picked at his shirt. "You wanna do breakfast?"

"I'd love to," she replied, closing the book that had been sitting upside down (oops).

Link walked over to escort her to breakfast, stopping to wrap his arms around Zelda and kiss her.

"You certainly do that often, don't you?" she said with a grin.

"How can I not?" He gave her a little squeeze, and stepped back, fumbling in his pockets.

"Wh—" Zelda raised her eyebrows.

"I know we're already engaged, but I wanted you to have this."

"Have…"

Link finally found it and pulled the tiny ring out, holding it out to her. It was a carefully crafted piece, in white Roldinesse gold that swirled around two small outer gems of diamante, holding a large ruby tight in the middle.

"I know it's not typical…"

"I think it's perfect," Zelda assured him as she put it on her hand. She kissed him, looking down at it again. "It's perfect." She frowned a little bit. "I'm not sure if I can wear it…"

"Well, well, I bought it. So that's okay, right? I bought it with money I earned."

Zelda smiled. "Yes, that's right. I think it will be fine." She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek on his shoulder. Link hugged her back, putting his cheek to hers. They stood in that way for some time.

For the briefest moment, Zelda considered telling Link about the blackmail enacted on Verla. She nearly opened her mouth to do it, but instead she bit the inside of her cheek and fought the urge. Was she mad? Link was tolerant but it was impossible to think he would be fine with this. She straightened and touched his shoulders. "Well. Let us get to work?"

"Yeah, sure."

\

They ate a simple breakfast in the main hall, chilled fruit, granola, and fresh juice. Link was feeling far better with something in his stomach, and he looked out the windows at the bright day, full of sunshine and a few scattered clouds in the sky. His immediate thought was to get outside and go for a ride across the fields.

"I was thinking of checking the accounts, to see how the crop from your old… place of employment is doing. We get weekly reports, and I believe so far they have been promising."

"Uh, oh. Yeah?"

"Yes." She smiled at him, and took a sip of juice.

"Good." He went back to eating, picking a little. He hadn't been expending the same amount of energy as he used to, and he didn't get quite as hungry as he had been.

"Is everything alright?" Zelda asked, noticing the bites left on his plate.

"Yeah, I'm just getting full." He shrugged one shoulder.

"Oh." She looked down to her plate, catching sight of her ring, and she smiled a little to herself.

"Hey, should we take the horses out later?"

"Oh—oh yes, that would be enjoyable." Zelda nodded, smiling. "I don't think we've gone for a ride in a while." She felt a little sting of guilt; she knew that the new crop of stablehands they'd brought in were ordered to ride the horses for at least a half hour every day, more if they were antsy, but Cerosa was _her_ horse, and she doubted that with Epona's temperament, they'd been able to take her out for a successful ride.

When they finished, Link followed Zelda down to the accounting rooms again. He hated being so deep in the ground, like he could feel the weight of the massive buildings above them bearing down over their heads, as if it could fall at any moment. He kept close to Zelda, mindful of her skirts but protective.

She was greeted in the accounting room. Zelda went instead to the accountant that handled the non-monetary transactions; grains, vegetables, fruit, fabric, exports and imports in general.

"Greetings, Your Majesty, Sir," the accountant said with a smile, standing until the two of them sat down before him.

"Hello," Zelda answered, tossing her hair back over her shoulder. "How is the… the spare plot faring?"

"The spare plot, Your Majesty?" The accountant glanced at her curiously.

"The one at the ranch," Link offered. He wasn't going to shy from it, and that would show Zelda that it was perfectly alright to discuss it so openly.

"Oh, of course, my apologies." The accountant nodded and flipped through the pages. "The ranch plot is doing well, I can say that safely. It will do well to replenish stores, or we can sell off the wheat to Gerudo or Termina—"

"If we sell anything to Termina, they are going to pay excess charges," Zelda said suddenly.

"Oh?"

"I wish for them to pay more. Or, if you'd like, you can think that the countries we are allied with will pay a lower rate."

"Ah, if you are certain."

"I am." She sighed. "Other crops; how is the cotton doing?"

"Most of the cotton fields are in the south; they're in well enough condition, but a lot of the mills and things were damaged or lost in battle."

"Ah. Can we sell it to the countries with those facilities? The raw product?"

"We could, yes."

"Why don't…" Link stopped, not sure if he had a right to speak. Zelda nodded and looked to him in encouragement.

"Why… don't we build new mills? Or … we can rent a mill on the border of Roldin or something, for a portion of the finished cotton, and continue to sell the rest at the same price?"

"Or a higher price, granted we will have to go to the extra trouble," Zelda murmured.

The accountant nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."

She thought carefully. "What about… edibles? I was hoping we would be able to grow extra, to start shelters, to help those people without to get back on their feet."

"Well, it will take time. Certain crops won't come in for a while, but when they do, we can set aside a section for the people."

Zelda smiled in relief, and Link put a hand on her knee.

"It should be promising though, Your Majesty, if the weather stays good."

"Then I'll pray it does," she replied.

"What if we did a fair?" Link said suddenly. He hadn't been expecting to speak, but Zelda and the accountant looked at him.

"I mean that… sorta like the auction in winter. What if we did a similar one in summer? Selling clothes and stuff."

"It has merits," Zelda answered, thinking over it and smiling. "Though we would have to make the plans soon, and rather quickly."

"Well, if not this year, then next year I guess."

"No, I think it's a great idea, I'd like to go through with it."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes, absolutely." Zelda looked to the accountant. "Do you think it would be possible?"

"Maybe… a rush order from the printers to inform the people, though…"

"It's alright. We were granted a generous donation recently. I believe we can siphon a little from that."

"Oh, of course."

"What did you have in mind, love?" Zelda asked Link quietly.

"Well. I figure… tables, with people selling their wares, just like the winter festival. Maybe some contests, or raffles, so people have to buy tickets and stuff. Little things. And a big picnic in the fields."

"That sounds delightful. We might as well enjoy this great weather while we have it. Make the summer a good memory for people again."

"Should I have flyers drawn up this afternoon, Your Majesty?"

"Mm, yes. Let us have it in two months. That will give people time to prepare and travel." Zelda nodded. "What were you thinking for prizes for a raffle?"

"Oh, I dunno." He hadn't really expected such eager agreement. "What's usually given away in raffles?"

"Any old thing," the accountant offered. "You might want to consider practical items for a gift, though."

"Clothes and things?" Zelda murmured.

"What about a cow, or… some pigs or sheep?" Link suggested.

"A sheep, they could gain their own wool and sell it." Zelda was nodding. "Maybe two, actually; a male and a female."

"What if farming isn't an option, though?" Link sat back in his chair. "If they don't have the space?"

Zelda sighed. "Then something they can use. We will ask them; if there's a trade they know but they lack the equipment for it."

The accountant looked back and forth between the two. "Is… that your decision, then?" he asked quietly.

"Yes." Zelda nodded. "Have flyers drawn up; we should go work on planning this."

"Who will pay for the sheep, though?" the accountant asked, then bit his tongue, feeling it rude to say.

"Well, naturally, the castle will purchase the sheep. The raffle tickets will reimburse the castle."

"Should we get them a cow as well?" Link blurted. Now that he felt a little more optimistic about his ideas, he wanted them all to be heard.

"I think one at a time is plenty," Zelda countered.

"But, cows are expensive, and can provide milk and cheese and things. Food for the people."

"Well, we can't give them a whole farm."

"Wool is warm, too. No one's gonna want wool in the summer."

"No, but…" Zelda looked to the accountant, holding up a hand for him to wait, and she turned to Link, leaning in. "Which do you prefer then? Cows or sheep? If it's cows, we will grant them one. Just one. Sheep, we can give them two, and those two sheep can go on and on providing resources with which to purchase a cow eventually."

"Yeah, but how long? The people need food _now_, don't they? A cow could provide that, better than a sheep could."

Zelda considered, but seeing him so determined made her smile. "Alright, then. A cow instead." Link nodded, and the accountant took a scrap of paper and made a few notes to himself.

"Can I help you with anything else, Your Majesty?" he asked with a smile.

"Hm, no. I think I'm quite settled for the moment." She looked to Link. "Did you want to take the horses out?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. Man, I hope Epona's not too annoyed with me for being too busy."

"Ah, how can I ever compete with your first wife?" Zelda joked as they stood.

"Well you can't outkick her, I know that." He put his arm around Zelda's waist, keeping her close as they left the accounting room. "What if we take some food with us, have a picnic?"

"Oh, but should we be out so long?" Zelda mused.

"The problems aren't going anywhere," Link countered gently.

"This is true, but… I've spent so long with you… I need to spend some time with the country as well. You can think of it as my first husband." She laughed, to show the joke.

"We have plenty of time to fix all the country's problems." He stopped and turned towards her, and took her hands in his. "I assure you, we have time." He kissed her cheek, and Zelda sighed.

"I know. But I should focus on the country. A few more hours."

"What all needs to get done?" He shook his shoulders.

"Ah…" Zelda thought, looking around. "That's the problem, I'm not sure… what the problems are anymore. I've spent so long not thinking about them." She laughed a little, weakly. "It's been wonderful, but I need to get back to task."

"Of course, of course. And I should… should learn, so that I can be a better king, yeah."

"Yes. So…" she sighed. "We can go for a short ride, but then we must come back. I have to find out how many towns are still doing poorly. Who's still skipping out on taxes."

"Alright."

They went back to walking outside, and to the stables. The new stables were not yet finished, but they were close. It did not matter; Epona was a royal horse now, and she would stay in the stables of the court from then on. Link opened the door for Zelda and followed her in; Epona whinnied and nipped Link's shoulder when he came over, butting her head against his.

He laughed and checked her mane and tail; she looked in well enough condition. He could feel confident towards the new stablehands' work. Zelda was having Cerosa brought out and readied for the ride. Link would work with Epona himself, though, just to make it easier.

"She been givin' you any trouble?" he asked one of the stablehands.

"Oh no, not at all. She's a little spirited but she's been alright."

"Good." Link scratched Epona's ears. Finally, he led her out and put the reins and saddle on and, after making sure Zelda was able to hop up alright, he climbed up himself, and they both turned and headed toward the open fields.

\

They were out for over an hour, longer than Zelda had planned, roaming the rolling hills and keeping at a light trot, though Epona burst into sprints every now and again, simply for the joy of it. Cerosa seemed complacent to keep at a calmer pace, and that also suited Zelda fine.

At one point, they stopped so that the horses could have some refreshment at a running creek, and Link climbed off Epona and took a sip himself. As Zelda watched him, choosing to stay up on her horse, she wondered if Hyrule, and they themselves, were slowly returning to normal. But she knew she still had lots of work to do before it got down to that.

"We have to get back," she called out to him, as Link was sitting down by the creek.

"I know," he replied casually, not turning towards her.

Zelda sat for a minute longer, then, closing her eyes, "Get back on your horse."

Link went very tense, and after a moment he stood, dusted off, and climbed back on Epona. Zelda tried to look into his face, but he avoided her eyes, his expression blank and inscrutable. They were silent on the way back, going at a light trot, Zelda leaving Link slightly in the lead. She couldn't help it. If she hadn't said anything, she was certain he would have sat by the creek for hours.

They returned to the stables and dismounted.

"Did you have a good time, sir?" the stablehand asked Link kindly.

"Yes," he answered, his tone light and casual. "She's a good horse. A very fine horse."

"Indeed sir, a very fine horse."

Another stablehand helped Zelda down as well, and she thanked him before heading for the castle while they cleaned up the horses. After a beat or two, she knew Link was right by her side, still silent. He did not reach to touch her, and she did not invite him to. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He looked calm, passive. Zelda reached out and touched his hand, and he took it, squeezing her hand. He didn't seem angry, at least. They walked together back to her rooms, and Zelda ordered Tilly to bring up any paperwork that was left.

"It's already on your desk, Your Majesty," Tilly informed her, with some worry in her tone. Zelda raised her eyebrows and looked; indeed, there was a pile of carefully-set scrolls, envelopes stacked together in order of importance and by region. The desk was nearly full to the edges.

"Goddesses alive," Zelda muttered to herself. Link looked at the pile, then to Zelda. His irritation and… well, to be honest, his tempered anger at her using that damned trick again, faded for good. She was right about them fooling around too long. Of course she was. He grabbed a chair and pulled it over to the desk and settled in, then looked to Zelda expectantly.

"Well. Let's get started."

\

They went through the scrolls first; Zelda would take one for herself, then hand one off to Link, and separately they would read them, and out loud begin to craft their responses. In this way, they worked together through the problems. Zelda did the actual writing (nothing signed by Link would be valid at that point), but Link would ask questions about each solution, trying to figure out for himself why it worked, and helping Zelda to pinpoint whether or not it was the best fix for the problem.

They worked slowly through the pile. Tilly brought them tea now and again when they got thirsty. But they'd barely gotten half through by the time the sun was sinking.

"This is ridiculous," Link muttered. "All of these problems piled on you at once. Can no one else help make decisions? What if you had to do this all alone?"

Zelda shook her head. "Then it would take me an age to manage it all. I could be buried in paperwork for my funeral."

Link looked back down towards the paper, then carefully folded it back into place and tucked it back in the envelope. "I need something to eat," he declared.

"Of course. A break would do us both good." Zelda stood up and shook out her skirts, rubbing her sore neck. "We did good today, though."

"It's tedious, but I think I can handle it," Link confirmed. Zelda took his hand in her own and kissed his cheek.

"I know you can," she replied.

"I mean, if we can keep up that same pace, then… "

"Well hopefully, we shouldn't need to." Zelda tossed her hair back. "You see? You will be a fine king." She headed towards the door to her rooms. "Come on now, I'm famished."

They took their time eating, hoping the slow pace would stretch the meager portions, and anyway, Link was in no rush to return to the pile of papers. Zelda was reserved, eating in small bites and thinking. He found an odd sort of peace in those moments, that he wasn't expecting. But he was getting used to them.


End file.
